


15194: The Promised Six

by orphan_account



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), Big Hero 6: The Series (Cartoon), 約束のネバーランド | Yakusoku no Neverland | The Promised Neverland (Anime), 約束のネバーランド | Yakusoku no Neverland | The Promised Neverland (Manga)
Genre: Additional Tags to Be Added, Angst and Feels, Angsty Hiro, Death, Gen, Hiro Needs a Hug, Major Spoilers, Mild Blood and Gore, Original Character - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Psychological Torture, Suicidal Thoughts, Tadashi went insane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-07-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:00:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 42,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23362093
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: 'No... no, this... This can't... It's another dream! It has to be ANOTHER DREAM'Hiro Hamada, an eleven year old, is a Grace Field orphan. He loves his family and Mama, and they love him. But when he finds out the truth, his life spirals downward into disaster. With the help of Tadashi and the others, Hiro will find a way to escape.... or will he?
Relationships: Emma & Norman & Ray, Hiro & Arin (Demon OC), Hiro Hamada & Tadashi Hamada
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	1. Beautiful Day

_Ding dong!_

The clock chimed as the sun sluggishly rose in the early velvet-tinted sky. Children’s’ eyes stirred, slowly peeking open, before becoming aware of their surroundings. Some yawned. Some stretched. One yelled “Good morning!” in an energetic manner that annoyed some children.

One of the children, an eleven-year-old with messy black-hair, awakened on that bright, beautiful day like a sloth. His name was Hiro, and he was the smartest of all the children. He could quickly learn things in five seconds flat, and his agility was incredible. He was a true genius. But whenever it was brought up by one of the children, he always would tell them, “I’m not that smart!” or, “I’m just really good at learning!”

The children loved him, even adored him, because of this. His genuine familial care for them radiated so much it was blinding. Hiro loved his family, even if they weren’t blood related, which they weren’t. They were orphans, but to Hiro, they were something more. And he would _never_ let go of them.

As Hiro sat there, rubbing his eyes, children from all around the room greeted him. He smiled at them, excited for the day to begin. But his smile quickly changed to that of surprise and shock when he was rammed into the squeaky clean wood flooring.

Hiro tried to push himself off the floor, but couldn’t because someone sat atop him. As the person’s weight squeezed the breath out of him, he struggled to ask, “Whoever this is, please get off my back. You’re killing me!”

Hiro heard a familiar, childish laugh, before being freed by the literal burden he had on him. As he stood up, brushing off dust from his milky white shirt and trousers, he tensed. The coldness of the flooring suddenly came to him in a flash, and Hiro quickly settled back onto the bed, before reaching for his brown boots.

After delicately tying his boots, he looked toward his attacker. The boy was a ten-year-old with short platinum blonde hair that curled to the left side. His hands sat on his hips.

Hiro sighed. “Why did you do that, Max?”

“You wouldn’t have gotten out of bed, Hiro. Just admit it!” He said as a playful smile creeped onto his face. “And besides, I’ll be leaving today.”

Hiro frowned. “I would have gotten out of bed. You just have to be patient.”

“But this is my last day here, Hiro!” Max said, pouting, while Hiro stood up. “I want to have as much fun as I can before then!”

“Guess I have to tell Mama that you’ll be slacking on your last day, then.” A new voice said. Hiro and Max turned and saw a boy with coal black hair walking over to them, a thoughtful expression settling on his face.

“But Tadashi, I’m leaving today!” Max protested.

“Just because you’re leaving, doesn’t mean you can stop doing chores and testing.” Tadashi said, putting his hands on his hips.

“Wait, I still have to do testing?!” Max screeched. Hiro laughed, wiping a tear from his eye. Tadashi raised his eyebrows, as if to say, “You thought you wouldn’t?”

Max sighed, a defeated look growing upon his face, as he sombered towards the door, passing by other children. Before he got to his destination, however, he tripped over his own feet, and face planted into the floor. All the children stopped what they were doing and rushed towards the platinum blonde to see if he was alright.

Tadashi and Hiro quickly walked over to the scene, Tadashi telling children to move out of the way, before bending down. He shook Max’s shoulder. When there was no response, he did it a second time, which was met with a grunt, and Max saying, “Guess I get to not do chores, now, huh?”

“Max, are you alright?!” Hiro said in a panicked voice, ignoring his joke. Whenever someone would get injured, Hiro would go into “panic mode”, as some liked to call. It would blind some of his senses, and the only thing he could do was focus on the injured person. Sometimes this was a pleasurable thing, but other times it wasn’t, as Hiro would break out into an unstable emotional state and never come out of the bedroom for a while. But that was only if the situation was severe. In this case, however, it was a minor injury, as Max told Tadashi that his face hurt, before reassuring Hiro he was fine, though the boy had worrying thoughts still swimming through his mind.

“You will see Mom.” Tadashi ordered. “No buts.”

The children watched as Max, with a swollen right eye, and Tadashi walked out the room. Silence ensued as all eyes settled onto Hiro. The boy stared down at them, seeing concern laced into each pair of eyes.

“Don’t worry.” Hiro said, flashing a toothy smile to cheer them up. “He’ll be fine.” As if to prove his point, Hiro crouched down to their eye level, and ruffled some children’s hair. He stood back up and set his hands on his hips. “We better head to breakfast before Mom worries.”

“Okay!” They said, relieved, as they headed out the door. Hiro stayed behind, as one or two children needed help tying their boots. Once he was done, Hiro walked down the hall. Children ran passed him, giggling and filled with energy.

As he got nearer to the dining hall, he could see Tadashi telling Mama what happened to Max, before Mama turned to look at Max’s injury.

“Hey Hiro.” Max greeted him as said boy walked up to him. “Mama’s getting me some medicine to help with the pain. She also said I shouldn’t do any chores. I still have testing though…” Max added, saddened.

Mama retracted from a cabinet and set a pill in Max’s hand.

“Tadashi, can you get some water for him?” Mama asked in a kind tone. Hiro loved it when she talked, for he felt comfort and peace in that voice.

Tadashi filled a plastic cup with water before giving it to Max. After the boy took the medication, Mama said, “Now, you two–” she pointed to Hiro and Tadashi “–better hurry and help the children so we can eat.”

The two boys obeyed and scurried to the dining hall, which was bustling with laughter. As Hiro saw Max walking over to a table to sit, Hiro walked over to the pantry which stored the plates, silverware, bread, and other things. He swung the door open, almost bumping into a boy who was carrying plates.

“Hey, watch it!” The boy said, annoyance visible in his voice. When he saw who it was, he added, “Oh, sorry, Hiro; thought you were one of the younger children.”

“No worries, Ray.” Hiro said. “Would you like me to take some of those from you?”

“Oh, uh, yeah, sure.” Ray said, pleased that he wouldn’t have to carry it all. Once Hiro took half of the stack, they started walking over towards the table. As Hiro continued on, Ray stopped to greet someone. Hiro saw that that someone was Emma, who was laughing and carrying Lannion on her back. Thoma stood behind her.

“Morning, Emma,” a platinum blonde haired boy said as he exited the pantry. The boy, Norman, walked over by where Hiro was, and started placing silverware down.

“Morning, Emma,” Ray said before heading over to another table to set plates down. Hiro said nothing to Emma, as he focused himself on the task at hand. After he finished, Hiro walked over to the energetic girl to say hello, and saw that Thoma and Lannion had scurried off somewhere.

“Hey there, Emma!” Hiro said.

“Oh, hey, Hiro!” Emma said energetically. “I thought you would still be crawling out of bed.”

“Thank Max for that.”

“I guess he would do something like that, since he’s leaving and everything.” Emma said. Looking around, she asked Hiro, “Hey, where _is_ Max? Wasn’t he in here a second ago?”

“What do you mean?” Hiro asked, puzzled. Max has definitely walked in with him and Tadashi, hadn’t he? Or had he sneaked off? To answer his question, Hiro scanned the dining hall to only find that Max wasn’t where he was sitting earlier.

_Maybe he went to go get something._ Hiro thought to himself before saying, “I’ll go look for him. Don’t let Mama start without me!”

“I won’t!” Emma called after the boy who now hurried down the hallway in search of Max. _He did face-plant into the ground… Maybe he’s in the infirmary?_

Deciding to go check, Hiro headed for the infirmary, and found Max sitting on a bed, holding his hands in his lap. Hiro hurried over to him and asked, “Are you all right, Max? Should I go get Mama?”

“No.” Max said through a slight amount pain. “I’m fine.” Max solemnly looked around the room and sighed. “It’s just… I’m gonna miss this place, y’know?”

“Yeah…” Hiro said, sitting next to the boy. Max turned and smiled at him, and Hiro noticed a small, barely visible scratch underneath the swollen and bruised eye. Droplets of blood fell from it. “You’re bleeding, Max.”

“What?” Max touched underneath his eye. “Oh, I guess I scratched myself on the floor when I fell. That’s your typical, everyday Max for ya.” He chuckled at his own joke.

But Hiro paid no attention, as he was searching through a cupboard for a bandaid. His mind raced with worrisome thoughts for his friend. Max being hurt wasn’t what made him worry; what _did_ was the fact that his foster parents might not want him because he was hurt.

Hiro had read fiction books in the library ever since he learned to read. Some pertained to adoption. In one book, a girl, who was adopted by a family, had gotten sick the same day they adopted her, and therefore complained throughout the day. The parents couldn’t stand her because of this and brought her back to the orphanage.

Hiro thought of how silly he was to believe that’s how most parents were. But nonetheless, he believed it. And therefore, he feared his friend wouldn’t be given a home.

The door suddenly opened, Norman standing in the doorway. “Hey, Mama is wondering why you two aren’t at breakfast.”

“Wait, breakfast has started?” Max asked as he put on the bandaid Hiro held out to him. Norman took notice of his eye, and asked, “Max, what happened to your eye?”

“Oh, you know, tripped myself.” Max smiled. Turning his attention to Hiro, he said, “Hey, come on, Hiro. Let’s get going. I’m starving.”

The two exited the room, with Norman running back to the dining hall. As they re-entered the room, children sat around long, rectangular tables. Fresh baked bread sat in baskets, and steam rose from the hot soup. Other food, like bananas, apples, and grapes, were sitting on plates next to the bread.

Hiro took his seat next to Tadashi, who was currently talking to Nat, a red-headed nine-year-old. But their conversation, and everyone else’s, was interrupted when Isabella stood up in the front center of all of them.

“Let us give thanks,” Isabella said, with a heartwarming smile. After everyone gave thanks, they ate. Hiro hadn’t touched his soup yet, since it was burning hot; instead, he took a piece of bread, and a few grapes. He plopped a grape into his mouth and scanned the room. He didn’t do this because he was spying or anything, he just wanted to make sure everyone was eating properly.

He saw Emma, Norman, and Ray sitting together, the first two children laughing and talking while the third ate in silence. Conny was being fed by Mama. Max, sitting a few chairs down from Hiro and Tadashi, took a sip of his soup, which he immediately regretted. He quickly grabbed a cup of water and chugged it down.

“Hey, Hiro,” Tadashi said, snapping the boy to attention. “I was wondering if you would like to play tag after testing. I’ll try to get most of the children to join; maybe one of us will catch you this time.”

“Sure,” Hiro said after swallowing a piece of bread. After everyone ate, it was time for their daily testing. As all thirty-seven children piled out of the room, Hiro silently walked towards the testing room. An old drawing on the wall caught the corner of his eyes, and he stopped to look at it.

The drawing was around seven years old, and had a picture of Mama, a stick figure with a blue, triangular dress, and Tadashi, who was clutching hands with Hiro, as if in fear. Behind them stood a black, three vertical eyed monstrosity, its tongue sticking out and its arms reaching for the two boys.

Hiro drew this the next day after he had dreamt it up. When he showed the drawing to Tadashi or Mama, they would react oddly to it. Mama would be shocked before telling him it was a nice little picture. Tadashi would be terrified of what Hiro drew, but said nothing of it. Hiro thought it was because of how weird the drawing looked, since a four-year-old had drawn it.

“You coming, Hiro?” A boy said, stopping next to him. Hiro looked down at him, and said, “I’ll be there in a minute.” At this, the boy hurried off. Hiro turned back to look at the picture and reminisced about the odd dream he had that day…

_“Hiro, come back here!” Five-year-old Tadashi yelled from behind Hiro, who was running from him, giggling._

_“You can’t catch me, Dashi!” Hiro said, as he ran further ahead. A huge, foreboding brick gate became visible to Hiro’s eyes as he ran. Hiro jogged a bit before coming to a stop. Tadashi, out of breath, ambled up next to him, staring at the gate that was looming over them._

_“Hiro, we can’t be here!” Tadashi warned him. “Mama said to never go near the gate!”_

_“But Dashi, I wanna explore!” Hiro exclaimed, grinning. Tadashi sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, thinking._

_After a few minutes, he said, “I guess we could take a peek… but we better be quick about it.” The two boys walked through the archway, each looking at unfamiliar things. Hiro saw a truck and ran over to it, wanting to explore what was in it. Tadashi saw this, and called out to him, “Hiro, what are you doing?”_

_“Look, Dashi! A vehicle!” Hiro’s curiosity glimmered in his eyes, showing how innocent he really was. Tadashi walked over to the four year old, his footsteps echoing silently throughout the tunnel. He peered through the window of the front seat, Hiro jumping to try and see the inside. Tadashi looked back at Hiro, and said, “There’s nothing much in there.”_

_“Dashi!” Hiro begged, pouting. Tadashi ran his hands through his hair before sighing and picking the curious child up. As he let Hiro peek through the window, Tadashi suddenly heard a ruckus coming from one of the rooms. He quickly set Hiro down, grabbed hold of his hand, running to the end of the truck._

_Before Hiro could protest, Tadashi signaled for him to be quiet. Out of nowhere, the doors slammed open, a young six-year-old boy backing up, trembling, tears streaming his cheeks. He flailed his arms around, as if trying to protect himself._

_“No! Someone, p-please help!” The boy, Fred, yelled, terrified. Tadashi didn’t notice Hiro peeking from out behind his legs. Both the four-year-old and eleven-year-old’s eyes went wide with horror as they saw a tall creature like no other emerge from the doorway. Its two eyes, stacked upon each other, focused on the boy. They had long, pointy fingers that could slice through flesh like a knife with meat. The demon held a dove white flower in one of its hands._

_Hiro whimpered softly. Tadashi looked down and saw him staring at the scene with wide, terrified eyes, before hearing Fred failing to scream. Tadashi snapped his head up to find Fred falling to the group, the white flower now gaining a blood red color. He was dead._

When Hiro had this dream, he was confused and scared. He didn’t know why or how he dreamt it up, but he did. On the same day, Tadashi had been acting a bit strange. But for what reason, the innocent child had no clue.

Hiro sighed before heading to the room for daily testing. As he walked in, Isabella turned from talking to one of the children, and told him, “Everyone’s been waiting on you to arrive.”

Hiro blushed. “Oh, sorry.”

“That’s all right.” Isabella said. “Now, please go take a seat so we may begin.”

Hiro scurried over to his seat next to Max, who, like most of the children, already had headphones on. He put the headphones on and stared at the monitor screen that was embedded into the desk. He picked up the large, bulky pen, and held it firmly in his grasp, waiting.

“Please answer each question within ten seconds.” A robotic voice rang out in each headphone set. “You may now begin.” Each child went on to answer the questions, Hiro answering them with ease. He, with Norman, Emma, and Ray, were the top students at the orphanage.

_Buzz!_ Everyone set down their pens and took off the headphones, most exhausted from the mind-boggling test. Max sighed and slid down the chair. Hiro tilted his head at him, before turning his attention to Isabella, who said, “Norman, Emma, Ray, and Hiro - you got perfect scores again!”

Max moaned, and Hiro assumed it was because of how stress-engulfing the test was.

Without warning, a ten-year-old with short, black hair stood up and pointed at Norman. “I challenge you to a game of tag!”

Norman smiled. “That’s perfect, Don!”

“Yeah it–wait, huh?” A perplexed Don asked. “Why is that perfect?”

“We were going to play tag anyway!” Norman said, clapping his hands together. Hiro glanced over at Tadashi, who shook his head and smiled. _Guess he might not have to conjure up a group for the game after all!_


	2. The Outside World

They stood on a rolling, grassy plain, their backs turned from the house. A lone tree stood close to the group, Ray sitting underneath its shade, reading a book from that came from the orphanage’s library. Hiro gazed around, staring at the shady forest that surrounded the orphanage, light piercing through the leaves of the trees here and there. Straight across from the group stood a clear pathway that weaved its way to the lone, ominous brick gate.

Tadashi meandered over to the boy, softly placing a hand on his shoulder. “Seems like I don’t have to ask if anyone wants to play tag.”

Hiro smiled up at him, before turning his attention to Norman, who stood in front of the mass of children, practically bouncing on their heels, impatiently waiting for the game to begin. “I will be ‘It’.” He told them. “Ready on one… two… three!”

They took off, everyone separating and running towards the woods. Hiro headed for an opening, racing past the blurry images that was the forest. He then stopped, hunching over to catch his breath. A few beads of sweat dribbled down his forehead as he stood back up. His pupils dilated to that of shock–Norman stood a few trees from him, backed turned.

As quietly as he could, Hiro tiptoed over to a tree, and pressed himself against the rough bark, which lightly jabbed into his back. His hands clenched into fists, fingernails digging into his skin so much they carved dents into the palm of his hands. He slowed his breathing, trying not to make a sound.

Everything then became quiet.

 _Too_ quiet.

Hiro scooted a few inches, his feet silently scrapping against the thick, rugged roots that protruded from the earth. His right eye squinted from his hiding spot, scanning the area for their pursuer.

Finding no one, he withdrew his head from sight, tenderly rubbing the bridge of his nose. Hiro sighed, a smirk tugging at his lips. But he had no time to celebrate, for the victory was soon turned to defeat.

“Ahh!” Hiro yelled, jumping and falling to the ground, arms flailing about. Norman, hanging upside down from a tree branch, smiled with triumph. Hiro harrumphed as he rose to his feet, shaking the dirt off.

“Guessing you went after me first?” Hiro asked.

Norman shook his head as he hopped down and landed on his feet. “No; you’re actually one of the last few I got.”

The statement did not faze Hiro, as he was efficient when it came to any agility, whether it be a game of tag, or simply chasing after one of the children.

“I’ll see you at the house.” Hiro announced before sprinting back to the orphanage. Everyone else sat on the grassy hill near the building they called home, resting and exhausted. Ray sat under the same tree, reading the same book as he was earlier.

It was around fifteen minutes before Norman came back, a frustrated Emma sobering behind him. The two friends walked over to Ray, who did not even steal a glance toward them as they settled down next to him. Hiro watched as Emma complained about being caught before the time-limit was up. Ray nonchalantly interrupted the energetic girl and asked what Norman had that she didn’t.

With his hands in behind his back, Tadashi sauntered up behind Hiro, whole heartedly chuckling at the scene that was being played out. Hiro cocked his head at the ten-year-old.

Tadashi had always been more mature than anyone else at the house. He would always do the most reasonable thing to any problem, and would always finish his chores before heading out to play. He would even help their caretaker with the one year olds. Not only that, but he was wise with his actions, taking the correct amount of time to think things through. To say he was the best brother ever was an understatement, as he was the _perfect_ brother anyone could ever ask for.

But as Hiro stared longingly at Tadashi, he could see that, as the boy’s brown eyes fixated on the cheerful scene before them, they were laced with an unknowing emotion, almost as if he was trying to hide it from everyone. But what was he trying to hide? Concern? Sadness? Anger? Wistfulness?

A few paces away, children grumbled with discontent. Hiro turned towards the noise to see Don standing, an angry yet friendly expression etched on his face. His hands balled into fists as they hung stiffly by his side.

“I challenge you to a rematch! Except everyone is ‘it’ instead of you!” Don exclaimed, playful revenge burning in his eyes. An olive-haired girl, who sat close to the boy and played with Phil (a tanned four-year-old, black-haired child), stated with an exasperated sigh, “Looks like Don’s worked up again.”

——————

The sun beamed high in the light blue sky, penetrating the forest rays with warmth. Hiro scanned his wooded surroundings, examining every nook and cranny that a young boy could hide in. Around him, other children combed the forest for Norman, some double checking.

A light footstep pattern from behind Hiro told him Max was ambling up to him. Hiro faced the soon-to-be-adopted boy, a frown tugging at his lips as he glanced at his friend’s face, which was mixed with frustration and anger.

“Where is he?!” Max said, kicking a boulder that sat next to them. Pain seized up in his body, and the boy quickly caressed his leg, all the while mumbling, “How can he still be hiding? Everyone’s looking for him!”

Out of the corner of his eye, Hiro spotted footprints carved into the dirt a few feet from him. He shifted his gaze back to Max, who was now standing there with his head hung low, arms wrapped around his chest. A frustrated growl rippled deep from his throat, his eyes showing signs of irritation.

Hiro quickly told him what he had found, and the boy’s faced turned from anger to curiosity and happiness in a blink of an eye.

“What are you waiting for, Hiro?” The now curious Max chirped, heading towards the footprints. He waved a hand gesture to him. Hiro obliged, walking behind him as they followed the trail. After a while, Max stopped, causing Hiro to bump into him, letting out an ‘oof’.

As he regained his bearings, Hiro peeked from behind Max to see Emma and Norman staring down at something. Curiously, Hiro wandered over next to them, Max walking to the left of them.

A foot high, grey-blue fence stood firmly into the ground before them. Hiro wondered from years upon years in the orphanage as to why this stood out in the middle of forest. Mama had always told them it was to protect them from any danger or threat… but it did not sit right with the eleven-year-old. Why would the fence be so small and useless looking, if it was to protect them? Shouldn’t it be higher and made of stronger material?

“Do you guys really think this is here to protect you?” Ray’s voice echoed to their left, a blank expression sprawled on his face. “Just look at it; it’s pathetic.”

Before any of them had time to question Ray, Don’s footsteps smashed into the forest floor behind them, others following in pursuit. They all turned to face the small group of children, and Hiro saw Conny, with her blonde pigtails and big, blue eyes, holding a stuffed rabbit tightly around her chest. Tadashi hung at the back, staring intensely at the blue stick that was supposed to be a fence.

“Hey, I thought we were playing!” Don exclaimed, aggravated that the game had stopped. Hiro saw the olive haired girl–Gilda–stroll over to the fence, lightly touching it with her delicate fingers. She looked beyond the small, worthless barrier, tilting her head out of curiosity.

She turned back to the group, putting a hand to her chin as if in thought. After a moment, she lowered her arm. “No one’s ever written to us after being adopted. Do you think they forgot about us orphans?”

Ray and Tadashi, more so the latter, stiffened slightly at the mention of Gilda’s words; Ray’s face was emotionless, whilst Tadashi’s had a tad of uneasiness, as if keeping a knowing thought to himself. But why would he want to? Wouldn’t he want to share it with them? Hiro would have to talk to him about it later.

“Maybe they just never had time to.” Emma said cheerfully, before turning her attention towards Max. “That reminds me… what do you want to do when you get out of here, Max?”

“Well…” Max said slyly, a smirk plastered on his face. “I do want to ride some thrill rides at an amusement park, and I also want to try every single ice cream flavor there is! What about you, Conny? Didn’t you say you wanted to become a mom?”

“Yep!” Conny said with a smile. “I wanna grow up and have a family of my own! And don’t worry! Max and I will definitely not forget about you guys! We’ll write to you every single day, if we can!”

“But I never agreed to that…” Max mumbled. Trying to change the subject, he asked, “Hey, Hiro. You never really mentioned what you wanted to do.”

“Hehehe…” Hiro rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. “You might think I’m a nerd or geek for this, but what I want to do is become a technological engineer! I want to learn anything and everything about technology!”

“Really?” Tadashi asked, surprised by the answer Hiro gave.

“Yup!” He said, enthusiasm spreading throughout his voice. “I’ve read books on it too! It’s so cool how people can make robots work like how they do even though they’re just piles of technological equipment and programs!”

“Good luck.” Ray spat, his arms crossed. Hiro looked at him angrily, but made no move to say anything. “Like you’d be able to do all of those things.”

“If you’re so confident about all this, then what do you want to do?” Hiro asked, anger lingering in his voice. He was mad mainly because he insulted on what Hiro’s dream to do was, but also because he also ended up insulting the others’ dreams too.

Ray gazed the forest that was on the other side of the fence as he spoke. “I would have to survive this world first…”

“What do you mean, Ray?” Tadashi asked. Hiro heard a sliver of aggravation in his voice, his brown eyes pointing daggers at the boy.

Ray said nothing, just continued to stare out into the forest they could not venture into.

Before long, the bell rang, and everyone started to head back. As they did, Hiro grabbed Tadashi’s arm. Both boys stopped walking.

“I noticed earlier you were uneasy.” Hiro explained.

Tadashi’s eyes widened slightly before shaking it off. “If you’re wondering if I’m fine or not, Hiro, don’t worry. I’m fine…”

“But you wanted so badly to say something!”

“How…?” Tadashi shook his head. “Never mind that; Hiro, I was just… thinking about the outside, and how much you’ll… love it.” Tadashi stated the last bit after it being caught in his throat for a brief millisecond. Hiro noticed the hesitation, but wasn’t able to respond as Emma happily ran up to the two.

“Are you guys coming?” Emma said. The two said nothing, and, with a concerned tone, she immediately asked, “Is anything wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong, Emma.” Tadashi said, his voice shaking a tiny bit. But that ‘tiny bit’ was enough to be over-passed by the orange-haired girl; Hiro noticed it, however. “Hiro just wanted to ask me something.”

“Oh, okay,” the girl replied. “Wanna walk back together?”

Tadashi nodded. As they walked back, an irritating, nervous feeling worked its way into the eleven-year-old, black-haired boy. Hiro had no idea why this feeling suddenly washed over him, but he knew one thing was for certain–Tadashi had lied. But he also was hiding something from him, something so huge enough to not tell anyone. Whatever it was, he would confront Tadashi about it later at dinner.

——————

Children busily entered the building, frolicking about, as the scent of freshly baked bread wafted throughout the house. Hiro carried Phil in his arms as he stepped into the warm, family-loving home. His arms tired of Phil’s weight, Hiro gently settled Phil onto the ground, the boy gazing up at him with a cheery smile.

“We better head to dinner,” Hiro commented to the four-year-old. Phil nodded, and the two walked side-by-side to the dining hall. As Phil went off to go sit by a blonde nine-year-old, Hiro found Tadashi staring out one of the windows in the back of the room.

With earnest steps, Hiro determinedly walked over to the boy, intent on figuring out what he was hiding from him.

“Hey Hiro.” Tadashi greeted as said boy scooted a wooden chair next to him. It squeaked noiselessly as Hiro sat down. Noticing something stirring inside the older boy’s mind, Tadashi asked, “What’s going on in that brain of yours, knucklehead?”

“Did you just call me knucklehead?” Hiro deadpanned. “You never called me that in years.”

Tadashi sheepishly chuckled. “Slip of the tongue, I guess?”

“… right.” Hiro said, unconvinced. He rested his elbows on the white-clothed table, intertwining his fingers to that of a thinking position; his forehead pressed against them, brow wrinkling with thought.

“So, what’re you thinking?” Tadashi asked with persistence. “Brain storming a project, or-?”

“What are you hiding?” Hiro asked in a serious tone, his eyes focusing on the entwinement of the cotton. His gaze then fixed onto the ten-year-old’s slightly appalled face. “You lied to me, Tadashi; you told me how I would love the outside world… yet, you’re holding back something. So… what is it?”

“What’re you talking about?” Tadashi asked, perplexed. He tilted his head to make it look as though he had no idea what Hiro was talking about. But before Hiro had any time to respond, Isabella had wrung the bell, getting every child’s attention.

“We’ll discuss this later,” Hiro murmured, a hint of annoyance dripping from his lips. After they gave thanks, the children dug into the food like wild, starved animals. _Guess everyone worked up an appetite after playing tag all day._ Hiro thought as he dipped a piece of bread into the steaming hot potato soup. It was so lively and filled with joy that Hiro never wanted it to end. And not just because of that, but also because Conny and Max were going to be leaving when everyone was done with the meal…

Hiro stood among the other children, next to Tadashi and Ray; Tadashi stared at the ground, as if it would jump up and eat him, while Ray looked as emotionless as ever. Hiro himself, however, was filled with emotion, trying not to cry at seeing one of his friends leave forever.

“I may not be strong, or smart as everyone here,” Conny started, tears forming at her eyes as she held her stuffed bunny across her chest, “but I’ll try my best! After all, I have Little Bunny with me!”

“Yeah!” Max chimed in, punching the air with his fist. “And don’t worry about us! We’ll be happy and fulfilling all of our dreams!”

“And we’ll write to you guys about them!” Conny added, Max looking at her with frustration, as he still did not agree to her ‘contract’, as one might say... and that’s when the full force of what was happening hit Hiro so hard that his knees buckled and gave way to the floor. Tears stung at his eyes as he tried to control his shaky self, but it was no use.

Tadashi bent down next to him, wrapping an arm around the sad, tired boy’s body. He carefully helped the boy up, who wiped tears away with the bottom of his fisted hands. Through blurry vision, Hiro saw everyone stare at him with concern, including Max.

Hiro gazed at the platinum blonde boy, and told him in an almost shaky voice, “I’m fine, Max. I’m just… going to really miss you, you know? And the reality just slammed hard that I’d never see you again…”

A hand settled gently on his shoulder. “It’ll be fine, Hiro. Like Conny said, I’ll write to you every day,” Max comforted him. “Even if I never agreed to that,” he added with a goofy grin that made Hiro’s mouth form a half-smile.

“Shouldn’t you get going?” Hiro said. “Your parents are waiting for you, so you shouldn’t keep them waiting much longer.” The black-headed boy didn’t notice it, but both Tadashi and Ray stiffened a few centimeters at his statement, the former showing it more than the latter.

After Max and Conny said their last goodbyes, Isabella opened the door and ushered them out. Max stole a glance back at Hiro before his wicked, childish grin disappeared behind the houses’ front doors for the last time, never to be seen on his face ever again.


	3. Truth

Hiro silently watched them leave, a mixture of emotions washing over him. His friend was leaving for good. As one might think he’d be happy about the boy finally being adopted, Hiro felt dread take hold as he sighed dejectedly, fingers slipping from the windowsill. He wished he could say one final goodbye to Max, even if he knew it was too late to do so.

Just then, Hiro saw Tadashi walking back from the dining hall; Hiro assumed he was helping clean up dinner. _Now’s my chance to talk to him about earlier._ But the boy could not do as he pleased, as Norman and Emma flew past him, heading for the front door. Curiously, he asked them, “Where are you two going?”

“Conny forgot Little Bunny!” Emma said, facing him. Hiro saw said bunny cuddled up in her arms. “We’re going to bring it back to her before it’s too late!”

“Maybe you could get to say a final goodbye to Max, Hiro.” Tadashi commented, his kind, brown eyes filling with interest as he stopped in front of the small group. But there also gleamed something Hiro could not register. It was almost as if the ten-year-old _needed_ Hiro to go with the other two. The boy couldn’t figure out exactly why, though.

“But, Tadashi!” Hiro said. “The gates - it’s off limits! Mama doesn’t want us going there! We’d get in trouble!”

“Why are you suddenly worried about that, boy-who-got-in-trouble-for-sneaking-food-into-bed?” Tadashi smirked playfully at the dumbfounded Hiro. “Don’t worry; I’ll wait for you three to return.”

“Guess it couldn’t hurt,” Hiro said thoughtfully. Norman swung the door open carefully, before gesturing for Hiro and Emma to come along. Hiro waved at Tadashi, mouthing, ‘See you later,’ before heading off down the rolling, grassy hill towards the pathway that would take them to the foreboding gate.

As they came upon the twelve-foot high monstrosity made of bricks, the three children stopped to stare at it, mouths hanging open. Coming back to their senses, Hiro nervously said, “If we get caught while doing this…”

“We’re just bringing Little Bunny to Conny,” Norman assured, “and you want to say you’re final goodbye to Max, right? I’m sure Mama would understand; she’d probably let it slide.”

Hiro sighed. Norman _did_ have a point. After all, when Hiro stole leftovers from dinner, and was caught red-handed by Tadashi, Mama wanted to know exactly _why_ he did it. She didn’t care if he did something wrong, she wanted to know the explicit reason as to why he had behind doing it.

With soft footsteps, Norman and Emma strolled towards the innards of the gate, its huge shadow engulfing them. Hiro followed after the two, his booted feet resounding throughout the hollow air.

_Drip! Drip! Drip!_

Startled by the sudden noise, Hiro turned his head within a split second as he scanned his surrounding. A few feet away stood a tall, dull military-like truck, with its curtains a faded grey, its metal trimming darker. Norman propped himself up, peering into the vehicle. Emma stood behind the truck, waiting for his response.

Norman swiftly jumped to the ground and shook his head. “There’s nothing here… Maybe Conny’ll find it in the back?”

“Good idea, Norman,” Emma said, heading over to open the curtain. A swift wave of deja-vu swelled inside Hiro, as if he had experienced something like this before. He knew where the feeling was coming from – his dream. His body screamed with anguish that he witnessed something similar before, but he swatted it away like one would a fly, dismissing the feeling in an instant.

_THUD!_

Hiro jolted his head so fast to the point of breaking it, to see Conny’s bunny plummet downward and land in a tiny pool of water. He retraced to where the toy had been before, and saw Emma shaking with pure horror. She backed up, her boots’ sound bouncing from wall to wall.

But what startled Hiro was _her_ _face_. It was in panic, her eyes filling with complete horror. She stood there, with uncontrolled shaking and all, as Norman carefully walked over in her direction, determined to find out what caused her to act said way.

Hiro however didn’t want to know. He didn’t want to find out what Emma found. But his consciousness insisted him to walk towards the back of the truck. Subconsciously, he obeyed, not even remotely grasping what he was doing. And when he peeked into the back of the truck, he _knew_ that his dream from so long ago actually happened… that it wasn’t a dream, but reality.

Their bodies, pale as a ghost, laid in a pool of water, clothing soaked to its maximum extent; they’re hair mottled and tangled, lying flatly against the metal truck flooring. With bulging, lifeless eyes, they stared up at the living, breathing, and horrified children. A bright, blood-red flower protruded in the center of each child’s corpse.

His whole body froze, his brain not comprehending the sight before him.

 _No… no, this… This can’t… It’s another dream! It has to be ANOTHER DREAM!_ Hiro’s mind cried out as stinging tears formed at the edges of his eyes. He tried to do anything – scream, cry, yell – but nothing would come out. Nothing _could_ come out.

_Bang! Bang!_

The pounding sound of heavy footsteps alerted the terrified trio. Norman and Emma quickly took cover underneath the truck, Emma holding Little Bunny close to her chest. But Hiro stood there, frozen in shock.

Doors slammed open, slapping the brick walls with a thud. Hiro regained the scattered pieces that were his senses, before desperately scanning for a place to hide. His eyes spotted an iron closet door, his feet moving on their own, dashing across the stone flooring. Hiro skidded to stop as he entered the small room, silently shutting the door behind him with shaky hands.

He backed up, shock consuming him once more. Hiro’s back hit something piercing from the wall. Startled, he jumped and turned to see a dusty broom lying against the cold bricks. As jumpy and shock-filled as he was at the moment, Hiro sighed in relief, but not before getting the sickening feeling he was being watched.

Hiro cocked his head through the metal grates on the door, trying to get a sense of what was going on.

But he soon wished he hadn’t.

They were two long, lanky figures, with pointed, slender fingers. They’re three eyes stacked upon each other, watching as they moved circular, water-filled containers to the floor. Hiro readjusted his angle to see the demons reach into the military truck.

In one demon’s hand sat Conny, her hair, arms, and legs hanging limply, gravity trying to pull her to the ground. The other demon held Max, his face staring at the high ceiling above him. His arms dangled over the side of the demon’s hand.

Hiro watched in horror as they plopped each child in a separate container, his mind racing with thoughts about what the orphanage truly was. His brain fell on a lone, single thought… _No…It’s not true…We’re not… we can’t…_

“Can’t I have a fingertip?” The first demon asked in a deep voice as his tongue slithered out to taste the human meat. But the second demon whacked the first with a flick of his hand.

“No you idiot.” The second one explained as he gazed over the meat. “These are not for us commoners. They’re for the higher ups, the royalty. Did you forget that?”

“No, I didn’t,” was the first’s snarky reply. The two demons turned to face something, but Hiro couldn’t see what, as his line of vision was impaired due to where he was hiding. He guessed it was another, more formal demon, as he heard the thing speak to the two. But what puzzled Hiro was the way he was speaking – it was as if he wasn’t speaking to the two idiotic demons, but to someone else entirely.

“We’ve been shipping out regular ones lately,” the demon said with a click of his tongue. “Will the four higher grades be ready to pluck for the Tifari…? Isabella?”

 _Isabella…?_ Did the monster mean…? Hiro’s eye grew wide with the thought, his breathing quickened at the realization. _Mom_ was in on it all. She was the farmer, and the children were her animals to take care of. _She knew everything…_

Tears welled up in his eyes, sizzling on his skin as they made rivulets and streams across his face. He choked back a blood-curdling sob, a hand over his mouth. Hiro shut his eyes closed, hoping and begging it was all a nightmare… just another dream…

But he _knew_ he wasn’t dreaming. The deja’vu… the quick realization of it all before he saw their dead, pale bodies…

Hiro couldn’t take it anymore, bursting from the shadows of the closet. His vision blurred, Hiro made a mad dash for the forest, tears still streaming down his face. He didn’t care if the demons or Isabella saw him - he just wanted the pain to end. The pain of knowing the truth. The pain of seeing his family dead. The pain of realizing there will be no happy-go-lucky future for any of them…

Hiro tripped over his own feet as he ran, not caring that his arms became covered with scratches from tree branches. Suddenly his feet gave way, his knees burning with fiery pain as they buckled underneath him. He fell to the ground, curling into a ball. Hiro dug his fingernails into his shins to the point of faint bleeding, his head hiding in his lap.

A blood-curdling scream, mixed with crying, echoed around him as the hysteric boy’s laughs turned to forced, choked sobs. He pulled at his messy, leaf-filled hair like an insane person would, cradling himself, trying to calm himself down…

“Hiro?” A voice asked in a concerned tone. Hiro’s head slowly rose from its previous spot as he tried to make out who said his name. The blurred vision didn’t help much, but Hiro could barely see a womanly silhouette, with a stature of a mother, appear before him.

Isabella crouched down and embraced Hiro was a gentle hug, faintly humming a lullaby she knew so long ago, all the while tenderly smiling down at the broken boy. “It’s alright, Hiro. You have nothing to worry about. They won’t come for you. It isn’t your time yet.”

Hiro just cried into the woman’s arms, hoping it would comfort him. But it wouldn’t. _She_ wouldn’t. Not after what he witnessed. Not after he found out that she was working for _them_ willingly.

“Conny… Max…” Hiro choked through a sob, clawing his way into her chest, trying to find warmth in the dead cold that was his world. “You let them… We’re just…”

“Shh my child.” Isabella cooed softly. “Don’t think about all of that. They’re in a better place now…”

“N-No...” The boy somehow got the strength to push the once-loved caretaker away, staring at her with sweltering hatred. His nose scrunched up as he said, “No… They’re… They’re d-dead… a-and… we’re just… food… _cattle_ …”

After he said that word, that _one simple word_ , reality finally, after so many tries, hit home. An ear-piercing cry rumbled from deep in Hiro’s throat, before emerging and transforming into a loud, spine-chilling scream.

But Isabella held him tighter, still humming the same tune. She rocked the boy back and forth as she asked, “Hiro?”

“Mhm…”

“Do you care about what happens before you are shipped out?”

_W…What?_

“Or do you not care what you do until then…?”

Hiro’s cries stopped abruptly as he stared into Isabella’s heart-warming eyes; they were barely laced with distrust. He didn’t care that he was about to call her by the trustful name all children called their mothers. He just didn’t care anymore.

“W…What do you mean, Momma?” The boy asked shakily, hands wrapped around Isabella’s body. She looked at him thoughtfully, before smiling all the more.

“You wouldn’t mind watching _them_ , would you?” Isabella asked calmly. Hiro was taken aback by what she had suddenly said, unsure if he heard her right. She was asking an emotionally unstable person to become her spy? Did she think that he would accept just like that? But…

…he accepted, hesitancy nowhere to be found. He accepted her offer… just like that. Hiro couldn’t begin to reason why, he just _did_. To put simply, he didn’t care that he would have to spy on Norman and Emma, because in the end, they wouldn’t escape. They _couldn’t_ escape.

Isabella checked over the boy, who was now half-asleep from all the crying and lack of oxygen. “We should head back home, Hiro; you need medical attention.”

Hiro sluggishly nodded, unaware of him doing so. He closed his sore eyes as he felt himself being lifted from the ground into Isabella’s arms. He snuggled in them, finding little comfort as they made their way back home.

A few minutes passed by before Hiro finally subdued to the exhaustion of his stressed body.


	4. Recovery

_Hiro tried to reach out to them, twisting and squirming, but Isabella’s grip held tighter on his wrists._

_“Calm down, Hiro.” Isabella smoothly told him, caressing his cheek softly. “You won’t be able to stop it… You won’t be able to escape your fate.” She took hold of his chin and jerked his head towards the onslaught before him, his eyes filling with tears._

_Dead. Every single one of them was dead. Their pale faces frozen, never able to blink or smile ever again. Blood-red flowers stuck out of their chests, blooming beautifully. In the center of the pile of bodies stood Tadashi, who glared at Hiro with great fury. He too had a flower sticking out of him. Demons stood behind him in the shadows._

_“You let us die, Hiro…” Tadashi said harshly. “You let our lives come to an end just because you thought there was no way out… You sat there, watching us all die…”_

_Splash!_

_Tadashi’s body hit the floor with a loud thump, his eyes dull and void of life. Tears spilled from the eleven-year-old as Hiro shook his head violently. It couldn’t be true… Everyone would die because of him?_

_“Would you like to join them, Hiro?” Isabella whispered in his ear before slowly nudging the boy towards the demons. The boy’s eyes grew wide with fright as he pleaded with her, trying to claw his way out. But there was none. He couldn’t escape._

_…and then the flower pierced his bare skin._

Hiro jolted awake, sweat dripping down his forehead. He rapidly looked around, his breathing rough. His whole body shook with fear as he noticed he sat in a bed somewhere. Once he got his breathing and shaking under control, Hiro could see exactly where he was.

The infirmary was still and silent, except for the ominous ticking of the clock. A lantern stood on the bedside table next to him, it’s light dimly lit. Outside was an endless darkness, stars penetrating the void, twinkling in the night sky. The moon was covered heavily with clouds.

Hiro sighed. _Mom must have brought me here after…_ His train of thought ended, partially because he didn’t want to think of it. But the other part was because he focused his attention on the small bandages that sporadically covered his arms.

The door suddenly opened, Hiro jumping slightly from the noise. He turned to see Ray, who held a glass of water, walking towards him. The emo-like boy set the glass down next to him, before sitting on a bed next to Hiro’s. His eyes gleamed with seriousness, as if he was in a business meeting.

Hiro grabbed the water and gulped it down in one swift motion, before setting the empty glass down next to the lantern. Silence ensued as the two sat there, staring at each other. Hiro didn’t know if Ray was waiting for him to speak or not, but got his answer when the former spoke.

“Mom informed me about what you saw, Hiro,” Ray started, void of emotion. Hiro’s eyes widened. Did Ray know? Did Norman and Emma tell him? Ray added, “Norman and Emma did not tell me; I already knew.”

 _He… knew the truth? And kept it away from everyone?_ Just the thought of it almost brought tears to Hiro’s eyes. How could someone keep a secret like _that_ from everyone?

“Mom told me to bring you some water, and see if you woke up yet,” Ray stated before getting up to leave. But Hiro grabbed his arm, and asked, “Does Mom know you know?”

Instead of answering, Ray withdrew his arm from the boy’s grasp, before silently leaving the eleven-year-old alone. Hiro felt Ray was keeping something from him. Did Mom know about Ray knowing? And how did he already know the truth before him and the others? Hiro mentally sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

He yawned, and decided he would try and process everything when he had a good night’s rest. But deep down, he knew he could never have a ‘good night’ ever again as his head hit the fluffy, soft pillow.

——————

Hiro’s eyes jolted upright, sweating running down his head. His breathing was fast, and his eyes were coated with shock. His body trembled from underneath the covers. It took him a few seconds to realize where he was, before slowly calming himself down.

 _It was just a nightmare._ Hiro repeated in his mind. _It was just a nightmare; there’s nothing to be scared of._

The infirmary door squeaked opened as Isabella walked over to the frightened boy. The bed creaked underneath her weight as she sat down, reaching for Hiro’s face and gently caressing with her soft fingers.

“Everyone’s waiting for you,” Isabella said. Hiro’s head shot up. Waiting for him? Why? “They told me they wanted you to join them before breakfast started.”

Isabella stood up, her gaze still locked onto Hiro. “You wouldn’t want everyone starving, would you?”

"N-No.” Hiro faintly muttered before pulling back the covers. He slowly stood up on his still-sore feet, his whole body aching as he did so. He noticed some bandages on his arms were missing. _Mom must’ve taken them off._

“Let’s not keep them waiting,” Isabella said with a smile, before turning to leave, Hiro following in pursuit. When he got to the dining hall, all childrens’ eyes were on him. Each child’s worry increased as they took in his scrapes and bruises.

Tadashi suddenly stood up from one of the tables, silently glaring at their caretaker as he walked over to Hiro and asked him, “What happened to you?”

“I…um…I…”

“He snuck out last night,” Isabella announced. Emma and Norman must’ve thought that Isabella knew, as their eyes grew wide with shock. “I found him unconscious near a broken limb; it seems as though he was climbing trees.”

“That so?” Tadashi said with a hint of anger. Turning his attention back on Hiro, he added, “Come on; you can sit with me.”

Hiro obliged, and followed Tadashi over to the table he had been occupying. As they sat down, children pelleted the eleven-year-old with questions, particularly ones that pertained to the lie Isabella fed them. None were answered, as Isabella told them it was time to give thanks.

As the children ate, Hiro grabbed a roll and stared at it. He didn’t want to bear looking at all the smiling faces and happy children. Because behind that, lurked in shadows, was the truth that they were mere cattle for demons.

After breakfast, everyone went outside to play. As Hiro sat down on a chair near the back door, he noticed Emma and Norman running off into the woods. A few seconds later Ray stood up, set his book down, and ran after them.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hiro saw Isabella setting Phil on the ground, before turning her gaze upon Hiro and walking towards him.

“Are you alright, Hiro?” Isabella asked, sitting down next to him. “You didn’t go join Emma and Norman; why’s that?”

Hiro hesitated before answering. “I… They didn’t exactly ask if I’d want to join.”

“I see…” Isabella said thoughtfully. She gazed over her children before continuing. “I would like you to join in their little plan. You’ll report to me when you find any crucial information. If you don’t…” Isabella leaned close to Hiro’s fearful face. “…I’ll have you shipped right away.”

Hiro finally let go of the breath he was holding in, a bit shaken by Isabella’s words. Hiro couldn’t pinpoint why he had held his breath in; maybe he was hoping of freedom?

Gilda ran up to Isabella, asking the caretaker if she could help get the ball out of the tree. Isabella obliged. Before she left, she reminded Hiro with: “Don’t forget there’s no point in escaping, Hiro…”

 _As if I didn’t see that first-hand!_ Hiro grumbled to himself. As he sat in silence, Hiro wondered if he really thought there was no escape… no hope…

But shut behind a door, deep in his mind, rippled hope. It was small, as tiny as an atom, but it sat there, waiting to be opened…


	5. The Traitor

Hiro was starving. Of course, when you haven’t eaten much except a piece of bread for breakfast, hunger will do that to you. As everyone flooded into the dining hall and grabbed a seat, Isabella walked in, carrying a one-year-old with her. Behind her trailed a dark-skinned woman with black frizzy hair. Her outfit consisted of the same clothing Isabella wore.

Hiro cocked his head. _Who’re they?_

“Everyone,” Isabella said. All eyes turned to her. “I would like you to meet Carol and Sister Krone. They will be joining us from now on.”

Emma, Norman, and Ray tensed up at this, obviously worried about the new threat; meanwhile, Tadashi stood stiff at the back with an emotionless face. Hiro, however, wondered why Sister Krone was here, in Grace Field. Isabella had him, her own spy, so why did she ask for another caretaker? Did she think he’d betray her and try to escape with the others?

Isabella clapped her hands together, smiling. “Please wait right here while I go get Sister Krone settled into her room.” And then they were gone, immediately walking out the door. Curious, and wanting to not loose tine, Hiro chased after the adults. The children called out to him, telling him to wait until after lunch, but the boy didn’t listen.

Seeing them go up the stairs, Hiro slowed his pace as he walked. At the top, he saw Isabella talking to Sister Krone about how it was ¡lovely to have another adult in the house’, Carol still in her arms. As he walked closer to them, the two adults turned their attention to the eleven-year-old.

“Ah, you must be Hiro; top scorer, correct?” Sister Krone said in a kind tone. “I’ve heard about how you and three others are always getting the best grades. It’s Emma, Norman, and Ray, right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hiro replied, taken aback by how nonchalant the adult was. _Didn’t Isabella tell her about me being her spy? Or about how Emma and Norman know?_

“Sister Krone, wouldn’t you like to rest a bit?” Isabella asked, irritated with her questioning of top scorers. “After all, it was a… long ride here, correct?”

“Oh, no need, Isabella,” Krone said, her gaze stuck on Hiro. Hiro began to feel uncomfortable. “It was a short trip here; besides, I’d like to play with the children after lunch, if that’s all right with you.”

“Of course.” Isabella said. “I would like to talk to Hiro real quick, though, if that’s all right with you.” Krone nodded. Isabella turned to Hiro, and addressed him with: “Come on, Hiro; let’s go see how your bruises from that fall are.” Isabella started for the infirmary, Hiro following in pursuit.

Once they got to the desired room, Isabella shut the door and turned to face Hiro. Hiro got the feeling she wasn’t going to ‘check up’ on him. He was right.

“Do not tell Sister Krone about you,” Isabella started firmly, “and do not tell her about the other three.”

“Wait, so you know?” Hiro asked, confused.

“Know what?”

“Ray.” Hiro said. “Do you know about Ray knowing?”

Just then, Krone opened the door, her hands behind her back. She walked over to the adult and child, a smile etched on her face. “Who knowing what?”

Before Isabella could respond, Hiro stated, “You see, I haven’t told everyone about my… my bruises yet.” Krone’s eyebrows raised, obviously suspicious. “I don’t want them to worry about me,” He added quickly. This seemed to satisfy her.

“Come on, Sister Krone!” A boy’s voice rung from the hallway. “Let’s go eat, and then play tag!”

“Coming!” Krone yelled back sweetly. “Would you like to join us for a game of tag later, Hiro? I’d like to see how good you are.” _How good I am? But why?_ Hiro obliged, said bye to Isabella, and started for the dining hall.

Unbeknownst to Hiro, Ray walked into the infirmary, a sly smirk placed on his lips. He asked Isabella, “Do you not trust her?”

Isabella was quiet for a second. Finally, she said, “…No.”

——————

Hiro walked out the back door and down the grassy hill. His sight was set ahead of him – the group of kids with Krone standing in front, watching the children, especially Emma, Norman, and Ray. An unsettling, eerie feeling churned in Hiro’s stomach at the sight. He felt like there was something… off about Krone, but he couldn’t place where.

“Okay children!” Krone said as Hiro joined them. “I’ll be it, and you try to run from me!” She held up three fingers, counting down to one. As each finger went down, Hiro again felt as if something wasn’t right. She wasn’t just going to play tag, was she?

“One!” Krone shouted; everyone ran off, Hiro making a beeline for the dense part of the forest. She wanted to see how well the top-scorers did, huh? _But why would she-?_

And then gears locked onto one another in Hiro’s mind. _She’s trying to figure out who went to the gate! If she does, then surely she’ll try and report us, right?_ Wait, why was he thinking as if he was also going to escape? _Gotta stay focused right now, Hiro!_

Hiro jumped over a log, the bottom of his boots barely missing the rough bark. As he stopped for a breath, a leaf, with a star cut out in the middle of it, fell into view. Hiro cautiously picked it up, examining it.

“Found you!” Krone’s voice said behind him. Hiro narrowly dodged her hands as he tripped over his boots and ran towards the small stream filled with rocks. He jumped hurriedly from one rock to another, swaying from side to side as Krone tried to grab onto his shirt. Adrenaline running through his veins, Hiro turned a sharp right, not pausing to catch his breath. His sight was in front of him – the strange rock formation in the middle of the forest. He could hear Krone’s footsteps from behind, but he never glanced back. He kept his eyes on the prize, which would ultimately save him from being caught in this deadly game of tag.

As he neared his destination, Hiro ran straight to a tall, skinny pillar of rock. With ever fiber in his body, Hiro sprung up from the ground and clutched a pointed, bumpy ledge that protruded from the odd rock formation. Feet dangling in the air, Hiro pushed himself up onto the pillar’s flat top. He rose to his feet, staring down at Krone with a fierce gaze. Krone looked back up at him, eyes wide with shock. He smirked, happy with the results, as Ray ran up to her and showed her the time limit was up.

Hiro jumped back down carefully, before heading back with them. As they neared the house, Ray ran to his two friends, while Hiro plummeted to the grass, exhausted. He grumbled something incoherent, before sitting up and seeing Krone spectating all the children, all the while in deep thought. Her gaze, previously on the three friends, Gilda, and Tadashi, landed on Hiro, who stared back at her. Seeming to think nothing suspicious of it, she let the ‘staring contest’ go, before finding something else to think about.

Without warning, the bell rung. Hiro grinned for the first time, as he was hungry. As he got up, Tadashi joined him, also exhausted from the intense game they had today. Silence surrounded the two as they entered the door. Finally, one spoke.

“That was an intense game, huh?” Tadashi asked, sitting down at the long, slender dinner table. After they gave thanks, he grabbed a roll and a banana.

“Yeah…” Hiro replied, exhaustion present in his voice.

“Hey, you seem a bit out of it; what’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s, uh, nothing.” Truthfully, it wasn’t _nothing_. It was definitely _something_. “Just tired from today’s game… Hey, do you notice anything odd about Sister Krone?”

“I mean, she _is_ in the…” Tadashi asked, before stopping himself. Hiro looked at him quizzically, and asked him, “What do you mean ‘she is in the’?”

“It’s… It’s nothing, Hiro.” Tadashi went back to eating his food. The two said nothing more as they ate. Same as earlier, Hiro had the odd impression that Tadashi was keeping something from him. He wondered if the ten-year-old knew about the truth, and he tried to brush it aside, but it kept nagging at him until he figured it out. Finally, peace swept over the boy as he ate the food laid out before him.

After dinner, Isabella had told Hiro to take care of the dishes. Obviously, Hiro didn’t resist the command, and started right after dinner. But as he was bringing plates to the pantry, Hiro heard whispers coming from one side of the room. He set down the plates on a shelf and peered from behind a movable metal shelf. Emma, Norman, and Ray were talking amongst themselves.

“You don’t think…” Emma asked in disbelief.

“Yes,” Norman confirmed, “there’s someone working for Mama… A _traitor_.”

Hiro squirmed at the statement. They turned in his direction, and Norman asked, “Hello? Anyone there?”

Eyes squeezed shut, Hiro didn’t respond as footsteps walked in his direction. _Come on Hiro! Move! You have to tell Mom!_ But he couldn’t. Suddenly, the footsteps stopped. Then they faded away as they went back over to Emma and Ray.

He slowly crept out of the pantry, before heading over to the sink to wash the dirty dishes. Out of the corner of his eye, as he scrubbed sauce from the plates, Hiro saw the trio of friends walk out of the pantry, each bidding them good night. Ray watched as they left, before heading into another room. Hiro stopped scrubbing and walked over to the room, entering it himself.

A few bookshelves, filled with books and medicines, sat on opposites sides of the room. Pushed in the left corner, a lone table stood, two metal chairs sitting next to the round piece of furniture. Isabella sat on one chair, Ray in the other. Both looked up at him.

“So,” Ray finally said, “Hiro is the other spy you were talking about, Mama?”

“Yes, Ray, he is,” Isabella started calmly. Hiro was dumbstruck, frozen in his spot, unable to move. _Ray’s working with Mom? …Guess that explains earlier, then._

“Ray, you say they think there’s a traitor among the children?” Isabella asked. “Is this true, Hiro?”

“You don’t trust me, Mama?” Ray spat, a bit irritated.

“No, I do.” Isabella replied. “But it’s… good to have more than one confirmation source. Now, Hiro, is it true they think there’s a spy among the children?”

“Yes, Mom.” Hiro said. The clocked in the room ticked some before Ray said, “I need to get going to bed; it’s late.”

Ray walked past Hiro and the door, leaving Isabella and the boy alone together. Isabella stood and sauntered over to him. She said, “Ray’s right, Hiro; it’s getting late, you should go to bed too.”

“Yes, Mom,” Hiro said, before turning to head to bed. As he walked up the stairs, he thought of what was just revealed. Why hadn’t she told him about Ray, since he was working for her? Did she think he’d tell Emma and Norman? A small portion of himself had the feeling he would’ve. But now, he wouldn’t, and couldn’t for that matter; if he did, Mom would most likely have him shipped the same day.

Hiro tucked himself under the covers, looking up at the ceiling in thought. Today had been a handful, at the least: new members joined the house, Krone was trying to figure out who went to the gate that night, and Ray was revealed to be Mom’s spy…

His thoughts drifted away though, as he finally gave into the looming darkness.

——————

The sun shone brightly in the sky, pouring heat over the laughing and smiling children. It was after lunch, and Hiro sat on an outdoor, metal chair. For a second, Hiro felt what life was like before he saw the demons, before he saw their pale, dead bodies… But that moment soon flashed past him, as Norman sat down next to him. Now was his chance to join on in their little escape plan. _Remember Hiro, you’re only joining because Mom forced you too._ But then why did he feel like he was doing it on his own free will? Hiro shook his head, discarding the thought.

“We told Ray.” Norman told him calmly. “Surprisingly, he took it quite well.”

 _I wonder why._ Hiro smirked to himself before looking curiously at Norman. “How could he take it well?” Hiro lied; well, _partially_ lied. He had been wondering how on earth Ray had taken the news when he had found out. “I mean… I became emotionally unstable and ran out!”

“Oh, yeah.” Norman said. “What happened when you ran off? I heard someone trail after you, but couldn’t see who it was.”

“You see…” Hiro stumbled over his words, trying to come up with the perfect, reasonable lie. “You see, Mom ran after me…” Norman face contorted to shock and worry. “Oh, don’t worry, Norman! She didn’t catch me! And besides, I don’t think she knew it was me!” He quickly added, hoping it would ease the platinum blonde’s mind. It did.

“That means Mama doesn’t know who knows, then,” Norman thought aloud. A wave from Emma, and a serious stare from Ray – more like a glare to Hiro – reminded Norman of why he was there in the first place. He folded his arms, and looked onward at the children as he said, “Hey, Hiro? Me, Emma, and Ray were wondering if you could join us in the library in about thirty minutes.”

“Sure,” Hiro replied, “I don’t see why not.”

“Great!” Norman stood, pleased with the boy’s answer. “Guess I’ll see you later, Hiro,” he added as he ran back over to his friends. Hiro watched them walk over to Don and Gilda, who were playing ball with some of the children. After a few moments, they went inside.

Thirty minutes later, Hiro climbed up the stairs to the library. As he got to the door, he could hear voices talking to each other. Then a third voice spoke, and Hiro’s grip on the doorknob froze. _Tadashi_. Tadashi was there too. _Why is Tadashi here too? Wait, why are Don and Gilda even here?! I thought they wanted to meet with just me._

Gears clicked into place in his mind. _That’s it! They’re going to tell – wait, they’re going to tell them the truth…_ Different scenarios ran through Hiro’s mind, wondering how Don and Gilda will take it.

“Hello?” Tadashi asked, his voice faint. “Is anyone there?”

Deciding not to stand there like an idiot, Hiro slowly opened the door, not meeting the other childrens’ gazes. Once he closed the door, however, he turned to look at them, taking in the sight before him. Ray casually sat on a ledge that was set above a bookshelf, a ladder laying against said object. Emma and Norman stood, Norman’s back leaning on a bookshelf, while Emma stood in front of a table. Gilda sat next to Emma, and Don stood out in the open, arms crossed over his chest. Tadashi sat a few chairs down from Gilda, staring at the table as if it would jump up and bite him.

“Finally!” Don exclaimed, unfolding his arms. Hiro took a seat at another table, which sat across from Emma and Gilda. “We can begin whatever these guys called us for!”

Hiro stared at the table, unmoving. From above, Hiro heard Ray address him with, “You know why we’re here, Hiro?”

“Yes.” Hiro whispered softly.

“Good.”

“What?” Don said ten minutes later. Emma had just told them the ‘truth’, which was no more than a half-truth. Hiro couldn’t understand why she didn’t tell them the full-on truth. Was it so that there wouldn’t be a panic among them? “Human… trafficking?” Don questioned uneasily.

“Yeah…” Emma said with a touch of sadness. “Our siblings… They’re being sold to really bad people.”

There was a second, a tiny, minuscule _second,_ of silence, before Don laughed. _Laughed_. Hiro’s eyes widened, unable to think straight. _He’s… laughing about it? Can’t he tell they’re serious?!_ It seemed not, as Don asked, “Okay, what’s the punch line here?”

Nothing.

“Eh?”

Still, nothing.

“Come on guys! What kind of prank is this?!” Don asked. Hiro stared at the smooth wooden table, his hands in his lap. “You’re not saying it’s true… are you?” Don added, now slightly panicky.

“It’s true,” Ray answered with a stare.

“Wait.” Don said. “Then what about Mom?”

Emma’s face saddened as she cocked her head downward, not wanting to meet his gaze. “She is the one… who’s selling us to the bad people.”

“W-What?” Don said, getting angry. “There’s no way Mom would do that! Take it back Emma!” He added, grabbing her shoulders. Emma looked up at him reluctantly.

“Emma loves this house and Mom,” Gilda suddenly spoke, earning both Don’s and Emma’s attention. “So, there’s no way she would lie about it.” Don’s hands left Emma’s shoulders, his face mixed with disbelief and horror.

But before Gilda could continue, Ray suddenly asked Tadashi in a suspicious manner, “Hey, Tadashi, why aren’t you that affected by all this?”

Tadashi said nothing, ultimately proving Hiro’s theory right.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Ray asked. “It’s because you knew from the start, huh? When you and Hiro went to the gate that one time, right? You saw Fred… leave, didn’t you? You let Hiro believe it was just a weird dream, _didn’t_ you? You-.”

“Yes.” Tadashi blurted. His chair scratched the floor as he stood, hands slamming onto the desk. Tears dropped from his eyes onto the table. “I heard his screams, begging for help that would never come. I made Hiro think it was all a big, scary dream. I know what I did. So just stop asking me questions like I’m a traitor or something!”

No one moved a muscle as they stared at the emotional boy who began to cry his heart out. In all the years he had spent with him, Hiro never saw Tadashi like this; it was always smiles and making happy memories that would last a lifetime. But who stood before him wasn’t that same person. This Tadashi had kept the horrible, terrible truth locked away inside him, and acted as if everything was right with the world. Yes, it was similar to Ray’s predicament, except for one thing: he was Mom’s spy. Tadashi wasn’t. Ray probably had the guarantee to live. Tadashi didn’t.

When he was finished, he looked up at Hiro, whose eyes grew large, tears forming at the corners. “I-I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. I-.”

“It’s alright,” Norman comforted him. “Knowing something that long, but not telling anyone… it hurt you deep didn’t it?”

“Yeah, it did…” Tadashi said, eyes still on Hiro. “…and something still does hurt inside me.”

A nervous feeling wound it way through Hiro’s body, making him freeze with fear. _W-What? Why can’t I move?!_

“What are you talking about, Tadashi?” Emma and Norman simultaneously asked, both curious as to what he meant. Tadashi _still_ didn’t take his eyes off of Hiro. He narrowed them, before saying what Hiro thought was a secret from everyone (except Ray)…

“You’re Mom’s spy, aren’t you, Hiro?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love cliffhangers. Don't you?


	6. The Room

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I don’t know why, but this took a while to write lol Hope you enjoy!

No one said a word. They just stared in shock, confused by Tadashi’s words. Hiro was affected most of all; how did he figure it out? Had Tadashi been spying on him? _Wait… If he knows about me…_ But the thought was interrupted when Emma asked, “What are you talking about, Tadashi? Hiro can’t be the spy!”

“Why don’t I let him explain,” Tadashi said, before looking at the boy who stood as still as a statue. Hiro felt his glare penetrate into his soul. Mingled with one another, guilt and fear washed over him. He stuttered, trying to make a sound, trying to explain he didn’t _want_ to be her spy. But nothing more than a mere squeak escaped his lips.

“Tell them.” Tadashi continued. “Tell them. _Now_.”

“I…” Hiro finally managed to say. “Mom, she…” He hesitated for a moment, before pulling himself together. He was stunned at what he said next. “She found me, out in the woods… crying.”

“She… knows, then?” Norman asked with a hint of worry.

Hiro nodded. “I couldn’t believe what I saw… I was horrified. I felt betrayed by Mom, and yet… and yet I let that monster _comfort_ me.” He locked eyes with them all. “She asked if I cared… If I cared what I did before… before _it_ … I… I asked what she meant, but then she asked if I didn’t mind…”

“What?” Don asked, intrigued. “What’d she say?”

“She asked me if I didn’t mind watching _them_.” He nodded towards Emma and Norman. “I told her I didn’t care…” He smiled sadly. “After all, we’re just… _sent_ to be slaves to those demons. Does it really matter what happens in-between?”

“Hiro…” Tadashi sullenly said. He looked like he regretted pressing Hiro to talk, as he added, “Hiro, you don’t-.”

“Why not?” Hiro interrupted. “We were born to…” _To die._ Silence swept over the group who, by now, had shed a few tears. “How do you do it?” He suddenly asked.

“Do what?” Norman asked. Hiro looked straight at him, not blinking. He said, “How do you have hope? You saw it too, so _how_? How can you think optimistic when you’ll possibly…” _Die._ “…be sent out the next day?”

“Hiro, I…” _I knew he had no answer!_

“Why we have hope?” Emma repeated the question aloud. Hiro tilted his head at her, looking deep into those green, hopeful eyes. “I guess… When I saw them, Max and Conny, I didn’t feel scared for myself. I felt scared for everyone. I didn’t want them to end up that way too…” _What is she getting at?_ “I guess what I’m trying to say is that just thinking of saving them all fills me with determination. And that determination is what drives me to hope, to believe, us children can escape this prison.”

It was like a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. That tiny surge of hope in the back of his mind engulfed Hiro; the heat of his hope, his belief, so intense it was burning hot. He finally felt free. _Free_. Free as a bird, and as free as the wind! His smile tugged into a grin, one that was pure and full of happiness, one that saw the truth – there _was freedom_. He just had to take the giant step and grab it.

“I can see it.” Hiro suddenly said. Everyone gave him questioning stares. “I can see the light. I see freedom.” His gaze, which was transfixed on the ceiling, turned to Emma. “Thank you, Emma, for helping me see what I believed in was wrong; there _is_ freedom in our grasp. We just have to reach for it.”

Emma ran up and gave Hiro the biggest hug he ever had. “I’m glad, Hiro,” she murmured into his ear, “I’m glad you can help us.”

“Me too.” Hiro replied before they parted. As they did so, Tadashi asked Hiro, a bit skeptically, “You’re not going to tell Mom you’ve changed, are you?”

Hiro shook his head. “No. I’ll lie straight to her face.” Before anyone could reply to that odd phrasing, the library door creaked open. Everybody tensed, worried it was Isabella. But when they saw who it was, it brought relief to their faces.

“Hey, Phil,” Emma greeted the four-year-old. “What’s up?”

“Mom was wondering where Hiro was; she wanted to talk to him.” Phil answered. Hiro tensed up at the mention of Isabella. _What does she want?_

“Oh.” Hiro said. He looked around each of the children’s eyes who were now glued to him. “Tell her I’ll be there in a minute. Okay, Phil?”

“Yep!” Phil saluted like an officer would a high official, before waddling out the room. Hiro watched him leave, before returning his attention to the others. With a big smile, he said, “Don’t worry guys. Like I said, I’ll lie about this. You have my promise.”

The others nodded, and Hiro walked out and towards the room he had found Ray and Isabella in. He assumed she was there, but if she wasn’t, he’d go to the infirmary. Fortunately enough, she was there, sitting patiently, sipping from a small glass of water.

“So… how did it go?” Isabella calmly asked as Hiro sat on the opposite side of her. Trying the best no to give away anything, Hiro told her, “They wanted me to join in on their escape plan.”

“Did you?”

“Yes,” Hiro said. Isabella stood up and said, “Good; you’re free to go.”

Obeying her command, Hiro left the room. As he did so, he crossed paths with Ray, who looked at him suspiciously. Hiro watched Ray walk into the room he just had came out of, thinking to himself. Suddenly, Hiro heard footsteps rumbling throughout the house. _Looks like it’s dinner time._

——————

Hiro was playing with Phil underneath the warm sun when Emma ran up to him. She wore a face like that of a child who finally figured out a puzzle.

“Meet me in the second bedroom.” She informed the boy. “Me and Gilda have found some interesting news!”

“What’s the news?” Hiro asked. Phil walked up to him, and tugged on his shirt as he looked up to him with his wide, big eyes. The four-year-old asked, “Are you done playing?”

“For a little bit,” Hiro said. Noticing the boy’s saddened look, Hiro added, “But I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

Phil beamed at this before waddling off to join in on another game. Attention back on Emma, Hiro repeated, “What’s the news?”

“I want to wait until I get everyone, okay?” Emma said. “I’ll go get Norman, Ray, and Tadashi.” As she ran off, she added, “Don and Gilda are already there!”

Deciding not to waste another moment, and because he wanted to know what the news was, Hiro set off to the second bedroom where Emma and some of the other kids slept. Just as Emma had said, Gilda and Don were in the room. Don was sitting on the bed, a bit agitated for waiting, as he jumped up at the sight of Hiro, before settling back on the bed. Gilda stood; unlike Don, she waited patiently.

Ten minutes later, Emma returned with Norman and Ray. Tadashi trailed from behind, making sure Isabella wasn’t near. As they walked in, Tadashi closed the door and settled down, leaning against a vertical beam. Emma stood at the side of the bed, Gilda taking a spot next to her. Emma got out a notebook and pen, holding it close to her as she spoke.

“Gilda and I have been observing Mom,” Emma said, “and she disappears at eight o’clock every night.”

“Disappears?” Tadashi asked, intrigued. Emma nodded, saying, “Yeah; she’s nowhere to be found in the house. Which means she has a secret room.”

Kneeling on her knees, Emma placed the notebook on the linen sheets. A blueprint sketch for part of the house was neatly drawn. The right square had the label of ‘Mom’s Room’, while the left had the label of ‘bedroom’. Two small squares in the center of the two labeled ones split them apart.

With a red pen, Emma circled where she thought the secret room was. “It’s next to Mom’s bedroom,” Emma added. “Mom’s bedroom has the bathroom and washroom next to it. Beyond the wall is her office.”

Looking up at the others, who were hunched over Emma to get a better view, Gilda stated, “I noticed when Mom always disappears, it’s usually in the washroom or her office.”

“I measured the distance in the room and hallway,” Emma continued. “But the measurements didn’t match. There are about tens of my footsteps’ worth of space. One side is a wall, the other a bookcase,” Emma looked back up at them. “I think there are secret entrances for both sides.”

“But what is the secret room for?” Don asked. “Would you know, Hiro, since you’re Mom’s spy and all?”

Before Hiro could answer, Ray nonchalantly said, “How could he know? Why would Mom trust him with that information, when he mostly likely would betray her?”

“I guess that’d make sense…” Don said. “But still… why does she have that room?”

“Mom does scheduled check-ins to the headquarters every day.” Ray said. Norman and Emma were a bit stunned by how nonchalant he was with giving away him being a spy. Hiro, however, thought the two were becoming suspicious of him. “At least, that’s what I think it’d be used for,” the emo added quickly. Hiro saw Tadashi glare a bit at the boy.

“…Headquarters?” Don thought aloud. Norman turned to him, and said, “The base that supplies babies and sisters for the house.”

Turning her attention to the black-haired boy, Emma asked him, “Ray, did you know that there was a room here?”

“No.” Ray replied. “But I did-.”

“Let’s check it out.” Everyone’s eyes turned to Don. “If we got into the room, we would be opened up to being able to communicate with the outside world! And we could learn about where Conny and every other child who left is!”

“But could we get in there so easily?” Tadashi asked. “Mom would have precautions, wouldn’t she?” Attention now on Hiro, he added, “Do you know anything, Hiro?”

“Like I said with the room,” Hiro said, “I don’t have a clue.”

“Argh!” Don exclaimed. “Even if it’s difficult, and we don’t have any clues about it, we should still at least try!”

“But why?” Tadashi asked, tilting his head to the right a bit. His hands lay over his chest, one resting atop the other. “Don’t you see, Don? Mom probably only communicates with the demo-bad people who are doing these horrible things!” He sighed, glancing at Ray. “We would get caught either way.”

“Either way?” Emma thought aloud.

“Besides,” Ray said, “we would most likely give away our location with our tracking devices.”

“Tracking devices?” Hiro and Tadashi simultaneously asked, confused. _Does that mean that tracking devices were implanted inside us? If so, can Mom track us?_

“Yes.” Ray continued. “Each child here had tracking devices implanted into their ear when they were babies.” _How does he know the explicit detail of that?! Did… Did Mom tell him? But why would she…?_

“It’s too dangerous,” Ray concluded. This made Don a bit peeved, as he tried to reason with, “But don’t you-!”

“I’m with Ray,” Tadashi stated. “Mom could easily find out about us snooping around, especially since _someone_ is her loyal spy.” The last part was inaudible to the untrained ear; but, since Ray was a top scorer, he heard the little hint and glanced fiercely at the ten-year-old. Hiro noticed this, and knew right then and there that Tadashi somehow knew about Ray.

——————

Hiro walked down the orphanage’s halls towards the stairs, full from the fresh-made dinner he had eaten. Down the hallway, where a few children and Isabella stood, Don ran into their caretaker, linen sheets in hands. As he fumbled for the sheets, he told Isabella, “Sorry about that,” and went on his merry way. But instead of going outside to hang the sheets up to dry, he made a beeline for the small cubby under the stairs. Curious, and a bit suspicious, Hiro stopped on the stairs, wanting to listen to what Don and someone else was saying.

But he never got the chance, as Don and the other person – who turned out to be Gilda – walked past the stairs. Hiro followed them. Suddenly, Don looked behind him. Hiro dodged being found out by scrambling behind a corner that turned into another hallway. Peeking from his hiding spot, Don and Gilda could be seen walking up to Isabella’s office. Gilda seemed tense, while Don gave off a rebellious vibe.

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Gilda asked apprehensively, a tad of hesitation mixed in. “You heard Ray and Tadashi; we could get caught easily!”

“Yeah, we could…” Don said. “But don’t you want to know the truth?”

“Truth?” Gilda asked, confused. “They told us the truth already! Our siblings are being taken away by really bad people!”

“Are you sure?” Don said. “Hiro is Mom’s spy, Gilda! He could be lying about not telling her! And the way they talked about it all. It’s like they’re hiding something!”

“I guess…” Gilda said, still unsure if they should be going into Isabella’s room. Before she could say more, Don knocked on the door.

There was no response.

Don turned to Gilda, who suddenly had a determined expression on her face. The olive-haired girl nodded. Turning back to the door, Don opened it, and the two crept into the room. A curious Hiro followed after them. 


	7. Weak

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hehehe... so you may be wondering why the chapter title is, well, called that... You see... You have to find out by reading!! Mwahahahaha!!!
> 
> Anywho, just a heads up: there is a mild child abuse (mainly punching)!! *looks back at chapter, then at reader* Is it still called child abuse if the one abusing the child is also a child?! Will we ever find out?!
> 
> ....probably not -_-
> 
> EDIT 4/23/20 8:41 PM: My friend just told me it's more like violence, and I can see that now... How am I so blind to that?! *sighs*

The door creaked as Hiro opened it, peering into the room. Not seeing Don or Gilda, he walked in and closed the door behind him, before skimming the place. To the left was an old, wooden office desk. To the right, two bookcases, although one looked out of place.

Hiro walked over to it, and saw it had been moved. A door sat behind the bookcase, wide open. _Don and Gilda must have used the key to open it…_

Hiro walked through the open door, seeing nothing but a sparse, empty hidden room. The only thing that lay in the room was a trap door, which led into another room. Light poured out of the opening, and, as he peered down into it, noticed it wasn’t empty. _They must be down there…_

Carefully, the boy climbed down the rungs of the ladder. If it wasn’t for him getting stuck in a tree, Hiro wouldn’t of been scared at the moment. But he was, so he decided to slowly descend into the next room. As he did so, he could hear two surprising-sounding gasps that pierced the silence-filled air.

Finally on level ground, Hiro turned and saw Don and Gilda, shocked, and a bit terrified. He didn’t understand what caused them to act that way, until he looked around the room. Though knowing the _real_ ‘truth’, he let out a barely imperceptible gasp.

Toys. All the children who left – their toys sat on shelves, some filled with dust, others fresh and new. Conny’s stuffed bunny sat on a shelf that was unreachable. _How could she just… keep these?!_

"Why is this here?” Hiro’s head swerved to Don, who held an old fashioned lantern in hand. Gilda looked at the bunny, then at Don, saying, “So it’s true – what they said; Mom sells us to really bad people.”

“No… Stop it.” Don backed up, into a bookcase, disbelief written on his face. His eyes widened, noticing Hiro standing there, watching the scene unfold. “Hiro…?” He added. Gilda turned at this, facing Hiro. But before anyone could say a thing, a noise suddenly sounded throughout the room.

CLICK! The bookcase behind Don moved, making the boy walk a few steps from it. The bookcase slid into the wall, revealing what looked to be a communicating device. A _bulky_ communicating device at that. The three of them stared at this, unsure what to do or say.

Don broke the tension. “Who is Mom communicating with? The base Ray was talking about earlier?” He turned to face the other two. “That’s right, Ray said he had everything under control with Mom, but we’re doomed if Sister finds out… What did he mean by doomed? Does he mean Hiro will tell us to Mom?”

“What?” Hiro said, astonished at his reasoning. “I would never! I’m on your side!”

“Are you really?” Don asked, stepping closer and closer to the boy with each word. “You could’ve lied about not telling Mom the truth. You could even know more than you’re letting on!”

“Only part of that is true!” Hiro said, trying to defend himself. But as he did, he knew, with all his heart, he shouldn’t have. “I- I mean-.”

Don paused. “What do you know? Does it have something to do with Conny, Max, and the others?!”

Hiro stared at the ground sympathetically. Was he really about to do this? _Should I be doing this…?_

“It relates to what happened to Conny and them,” Gilda said, more so filled with fright, than with anger like Don was. “Doesn’t it?” she added. Hiro quickly glanced at the two with sad eyes, before gazing upon the wooden flooring. In his mind, memories of that night flooded to him… The demons, the bodies, the way Isabella _comforted_ him…

Suddenly, the faint freak of the office door told the three children someone had entered the room. Hiro and Gilda looked up at the trap door, expecting Isabella to open it and catch them in the act. Don glared at Hiro with suspicion.

“Hold on Phil,” Isabella’s muffled voice said, “I’ll be there in a moment.”

Nobody moved a muscle as the tension in the air built up. Don had turned the lamp off, so it was hard to see the others’ expressions. Slowly, Gilda and Don made their way over to the ladder, Don starting to climb up.

“Wait!” Hiro whisper-shouted. “What if Mom catches us?!”

“Why are you all worried about if she catches us or not?” Don asked venomously. “After all, you probably told her about us checking it out!”

“No, I…” But it was no use as Don made his way up the ladder. The only sympathy he got was out of Gilda, who just looked at him sorrowfully before turning and heading up the ladder. Sighing, Hiro started for the ladder too.

As he stood up in the small room, he saw Don and Gilda shaking with terror. He wondered why, until he heard it. Footsteps. And they were heading straight for the secret door.

Hiro braced himself for what was to come… But it never did.

“Mom!” A little boy’s voice rung out. _Eugene! Thank goodness!_

“Oh, what’s wrong Eugene?” Isabella asked lovingly. Hiro heard a bit of metal click, and then heard Eugene say, “I found this on the floor!”

“Thank you!” Isabella said. Eugene laughed, and then left the room. It was a few seconds before they heard Isabella’s footsteps fade away. When they did, Don slowly walked over to the door and opened it. After looking around, and finding that the coast was clear, he nodded to Gilda. Both she and Hiro then walked out the room.

Don said nothing as he stomped out Isabella’s office, intent on talking to not only Hiro, but to Emma, Norman, Ray, and Tadashi as well. Gilda hung back a second, looking at Hiro with saddened eyes, before catching up to her friend. Hiro felt a pang as he watched Gilda leave.

A few seconds passed before Hiro decided to catch up to them. As he did, he saw Ray asking the two of them, “Where were you?”

“Hiro…?” Emma asked as she saw Hiro come up behind the two being questioned. Hiro didn’t say anything, just stare silently at his feet. What _could_ he say? After all, Don suspected he was telling Isabella about them sneaking into her secret room! Would they believe him, though? He would have to find out later, for Isabella had just rang the bell for dinner.

——————

The moon shined brightly in the clear, star-lit sky. A breeze passed through the forest, and a crow cawed as it flew in the sky. It was calm, almost serene – it made it look as if nothing was wrong. But something _was_ wrong. Don, Gilda, and Hiro – more or less just the first two – went snooping around in Isabella’s secret room.

The dining hall clock ticked on as the air grew thicker with tension; it was so thick, in fact, that you couldn’t even cut it with a knife.

“So?” was the first thing that cut the silence in two. Hiro saw it was Ray that had said it. “What happened?”

Don, looking anywhere but his friends, confessed, “We went into Mom’s secret room.”

“But how?” Emma and Tadashi said. Emma stood in front of the three, while Tadashi leaned against the wall, near a window.

Hiro was the one to answer. “Don stole the key from Mom.”

“From Mom?!” was Emma’s response.

“Did she find out?” Norman asked. Gilda turned to him, and said, “I don’t think so. We returned the key, so-“

“She probably knows.” Don said, interrupting her. His fiery gaze turned onto Hiro, who looked shocked that Don was actually going to tell them his false accusations he planted on him. “After all, didn’t you tell Mom?” he added spitefully.

“…What?” Tadashi said, slowly turning his head to face the boy. The ten-year-old’s eyes were glinting with sadness of Hiro’s supposed betrayal. “Hiro, is this true?”

“W-What?” Hiro squeaked out. “I- N-No, Tadashi! I promised I wouldn’t tell her _anything_! Including this!” He added, trying to defend himself. But it was no use; everyone looked at him with a hint of hurt. Well, everyone except for Emma and Ray.

“Hiro wouldn’t do that!” Emma defended him, eyes burning with determination. “He wouldn’t just backstab the promise he made! Right, Hiro?” she added, the last part faltering a bit.

“Y-You’re right, Emma,” Hiro nodded. Looking back at everyone, he added, “I wouldn’t tell her. If the promise isn’t enough for you guys, then… then I swear on my life I’ll not tell her a single thing!”

But before anyone could object, Ray said with a hint of aggravation, “Doesn’t matter if Hiro’s telling the truth or not, you still did something really stupid! What would you do if the room was equipped with a camera or an alarm? You guys – no, all of us would be-.”

“Would be what?” Don asked angrily. “Hiro didn’t seem to come out with it, so you better tell us what would happen!” Turning to Emma, who was a bit shocked by everything, he added, “Would we be killed?”

After a short breathe, he continued his rant with, “We found Conny’s Little Bunny in the room… So much for ‘I don’t know’ and ‘We can save them’! We can’t save them, can we?!” He added. At his last sentence, Don stood up, pounding the palm of his hand on the wooden dining room’s table.

“I’m sorry!” Emma exclaimed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “I’m so sorry!” At this, Gilda’s hand went to her mouth, a shocked and horrified expression forming on her face. Tears trickled down her cheeks.

“I told you Gilda!” Don said. “I told you they were lying after all!” Leaning over the table to Emma, he asked, “What else are you hiding? Tell us the whole truth!”

With a deep breathe, Norman told them. He told them about finding Conny and Max’s dead, pale bodies, about the demons, and about being mere cattle. When all was said and done, Don’s eyes were wide with horror; so was Gilda’s.

“Demons? A farm?” Don said disbelievingly. He looked at Ray, and said, “And you’re another spy for Mom? This whole time?”

“Ray… Tadashi…” At the mention of their names, the two looked up at a terrified Gilda. “You two… You two knew that Conny and Max would be… would be…” She couldn’t finish her sentence, as it was too much to bear.

“Emma and Norman, you tricked us.” Don said, walking over to the latter he mentioned. “You were going to take us out into a world full of enemies?” And then, he _laughed_. A cold, chilling-to-the-bone laugh. One would say he had gone mad, insane. Another would say he couldn’t bear it at all. The second one would be right, as Hiro jumped when Norman was punched hard in the face by Don.

“You’re kidding me!” He shouted. Ray ran up to him, trying to get him under control, but the emo took a blow to the face as well. And before anyone could stop him, he ran up to Emma, took hold of her shirt’s collar, and aimed for her face. But the blow never came.

Don lowered Emma and his shaking fist. “Are we that much of a burden? So useless and weak you feel the need to protect us?” He paused, then continued with, “That time, when you asked us to help you, I thought you were relying on us… Was that a lie?”

“We’re not as smart as you,” Don continued. “But still… aren’t we family?! Aren’t we siblings?!” Tears ran down his cheeks like waterfalls. “I just want you guys to have a little faith in us!”

There was a silence, like that of no other, in the room. No one spoke a word for a few seconds. And then Don said, “I’m going to cool off,” before walking out the room. Gilda ran after him, worried.

“I was wrong…” Emma said weakly, her eyes covered by her orange hair. Hiro didn’t know what to do, so he just sat there, feeling anxious. A few minutes passed before the three – Emma, Norman, and Ray – went out after Don and Gilda. The only one left with Hiro was Tadashi.

“Am I… weak?” Hiro faintly said, mostly to himself. But Tadashi heard, sat down next to the boy, and asked with deep concern, “What do you mean, Hiro? You’re one of the top scorers!” He ruffled the boy’s hair some, making it stick out this way and that. But Hiro didn’t move, just curl up into a ball on the chair.

“Hiro?” Tadashi asked. “Whatever is going on in that brain of yours, you can tell me…You know that, right?”

Hiro’s response was only a muffled form of ‘Yes’. Tadashi sighed, deep in thought. Hiro’s head popped out of it’s spot, which was in between his legs, and looked up at Tadashi. Tears streamed down his face.

“S-Sorry… I… I just…” He tried to tell him, but couldn’t. Tadashi wrapped his arms around the boy, trying to comfort him. He snuggled into the side of Tadashi, feeling warmth radiate off the boy’s chest. A few minutes passed, and before Tadashi knew it, Hiro was fast asleep. His innocent frame gracefully moved up and down, indicating his breathing.

Tadashi sighed, smiling. “Come on knucklehead; let’s get you to bed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Reeeeeeeeee. The scene at the end wasn't planned, but it was filled with so much Tadashi-Hiro brother angst stuff that I HAD to keep it in! Also, to whoever is reading this, how do you like it so far? Is it good? Bad? In the middle? I need answers, people, answers!
> 
> .....But if you don’t want to answer, that's fine also! XD I just like getting reviews and comments about my work I make ^_^


	8. Reality is Cruel

Sunlight poured through his eyelids. Hiro squeezed them shut tight, turning on his side and cuddling up underneath the linen clothes. It was only a few seconds before he felt a small shake on his shoulder. Hiro lazily swatted at the annoyance, grumbling, “Wan’a re’t… Dashi….”

“You can’t sleep forever, Hiro,” a familiar voice filled with cheeriness said. “It’s my last day, remember? You said you were gonna wake up early, but it seems you were wrong.”

 _Wha…?_ Hiro sluggishly moved so that he faced the ceiling, the bed slightly groaning. He didn’t dare open his eyes. “Max, I’m try’ng to sle’p,” he mumbled.

“Hiro…?” Tadashi’s voice was coated with apprehension. Slowly but surely, Hiro managed to open his droopy eyelids, turning on his side once more to face the speaker. In the background of Tadashi’s bent over frame stood a few more beds, and the door to the hall. _What…? How’d I end up here?_

“You fell asleep last night, so I carried you back,” Tadashi answered Hiro’s mental question. Said boy sat up and yawned, rubbing his brown eyes. He blinked back sleepiness a few times, before turning attention to the ten-year-old. Seeing the boy alert, Tadashi continued with, “Hey, Hiro? You remember what I said last night? About you being able to talk to me about stuff?”

It took the boy a few moments to process what he just said. When he did, Hiro nervously said, “Y-Yeah, I know…” His hands grappled the bed sheets, turning his knuckles ghostly white. Did Tadashi remember what he had said to himself yesterday…?

Tadashi placed a hand firmly on the boy’s shoulder, looked him right in the eye, and said with confidence, “You aren’t weak, Hiro, so get that out of your thick head.” For emphasis, he flicked Hiro’s forehead. Hiro half-heartedly smiled, swatting away Tadashi’s hand.

Just then, the door to the room opened, and in bounded a cheery Emma. She jumped in the air, before diving onto Hiro, who became very confused with his surroundings. As her weight lifted off him, Hiro asked 63194, “W-What? What’s going on?!”

Emma giggled, before changing the subject with, “Come on, Hiro! Breakfast is almost ready!” And with that, she took off out the door and down the hall. Tadashi, who now sat on the end of the bed Hiro occupied, sighed and stood up.

“We better get to breakfast, knucklehead.” Tadashi said, chuckling as he walked out. Hiro folded his arms, trying to think of what was making Tadashi laugh. With no luck, Hiro got out of bed and raced after his younger brother.

——————

Blazing like a raging inferno, the sun’s rays pierced throughout the forest’s treetop, leaving shady patches here and there. Hiro and Tadashi strolled through the forest, for they wanted to catch up to Emma and the others as the two had the ‘privilege’ of cleaning up for breakfast; Hiro suspected Isabella did this to split them up. But for what reason, he could not think of.

He was, however, able to figure out the reason behind Tadashi laughing at him earlier. It was quite simple, and the boy couldn’t figure out how he had missed it – his hair was all messy. Granted his hair was usually messy during the day, it was messier than ever. Hiro had quickly brushed it before heading with Tadashi to their current destination.

Up ahead stood Emma, Gilda, Norman, and Don, backs facing the two boys. Their postures, frightened and a bit suspicious, puzzled Hiro. What were they looking at that gave them this reaction? Hiro soon found out as they stopped behind the group. He couldn’t believe who it was.

Sister Krone. Standing in front of them looking as smug and crazy as ever. “All of you are here! Perfect!” The woman said crazily. “I’ll finally be able to ask my question!”

“Which is?” Tadashi skeptically asked, crossing his arms. Sister Krone dramatically put a hand over her heart, and asked, “Do you not trust me?”

“Why exactly would we trust you?” Tadashi spat, his eyes narrowing into slits. Krone smiled at this, and, twirling like a madwoman, announced, “I want to help you escape!”

“You mean… join us?” Gilda asked apprehensively, holding onto to Emma, who seemed to be doing the same to Gilda. Tadashi looked at her distrustfully, the same with Don. But Norman warmly smiled, as if everything was right in the world.

“Don’t worry, guys.” He reassured them all. “Everything’s fine.” Facing Krone, he said, “We’ll hear you out.”

Krone smiled unlike one Hiro’s ever seen. “That’s right.” She said happily. “We should cooperate together to achieve our goals. You all want to escape, and I want to drag Isabella down from her position as Mom, and seize it for myself.”

“Mom’s position?” Don asked.

“Just to clarify, those are my true intentions.” Krone said with narrowed eyes. _How can we be so sure? You could be lying!_ “I’m not lying, if you all think I am. I, too, want to break free from this wretched prison.” She pulled back her white collar. Everyone gasped, even Tadashi.

A number was tattooed on her neck.

“Do you know about the manage system here?” Krone asked, placing her hand that revealed the number by her side. “Girls who meet certain conditions and live until twelve years of age are presented with two paths when they are about to be shipped. To continue and die, or aim to become a Mom. Athens conditions are to score above a certain number, and be recommended by the Mom,” As she said this, she circled around the group. She stopped when she stood in front of them again. “But I don’t recommend it.”

Krone pulled back her shirt, not enough to see her body, but just enough to see a long, thick, vertical scar run down the center of her chest. _How did she get that…?_ Emma asked, “What is that?”

“There’s a chip inside.” _Does Isabella have one too?!_ “If an adult steps one foot outside the farm, an electrical current will be sent through the chip, and their heart will stop. At the same time, if something else makes their stop, the chip will act as a transmitter and notify the higher-ups.”

“So we can’t kill the adults after all,” Norman commented, looking serious. _Wait… Did he plan to try to kill Isabella?_

Krone looked off into the woods, hands placed over her chest. “I can only live inside the farms. That’s the reason why I’m wanting to live the best possible life here. Even if it’s fake… it’s a life for humans,” she added, which made something suddenly click inside Hiro, making him fill with anger. Emma seemed to feel the same.

“But to do that, Isabella must be eliminated.” Krone continued. “If you all escape, she will be blamed.” She looked at them, a bit smug. “I won’t get in your way,” she added, “You escaping will be a benefit for me.”

“You’re not going to ship us out?” Gilda asked nervously. Krone smiled, and said, “No. Let’s cooperate!” _What?! Cooperate to a… to a monster like her?!_

“No way!” Hiro blurt out, his anger fueling his every word. “She’s a _monster_! We can’t cooperate with her!”

“Hiro’s right,” Tadashi added. “And she may not be telling the truth. It could all be one giant lie.”

Norman just smiled. “How could she possibly be lying? Even if she was, what could she gain out of it.”

“It… I don’t…!” Hiro stammered, letting out a small huff of annoyance. Norman had just hit the spot, the rationality of it all. Hiro hated to admit it, but the platinum-blonde was right. She would have _nothing_ to gain.

Pleased, Krone stretched her hand out, smiling as if she was a friend. “Come on… Let’s work together!”

“…Okay.” Emma said bluntly. Norman reached for Krone’s hand….

….and shook it.

——————

Loud chatter rang out in the dining hall as everyone ate away at the breakfast food. A giggling Phil snatched up a bread roll, and a beaming Emma talked excitedly with her friends about past memories. Everyone was alive with happiness, everyone except for a black-haired eleven-year-old.

Thoughts ran around in Hiro’s head. Why did Norman accept Krone’s offer? And was what Krone saying actually true? Or was it all a simple hoax, a lie, planned by Isabella to get them all into her twisted, exitless web? The first, he knew: it was the most rational route. Other than that, Norman explicitly stated that she could gain nothing out of lying – well, unless she was put up by Isabella to join them, that is. The second, however, would be a bit trickier to answer, as the boy didn’t have any evidence Krone was lying, or was set up by Isa- _Wait! I could simply ask if she put Krone up to it!_ Hiro interrupted his own train of thought. Isabella trusted him, right? So, if he were to ask the question, she wouldn’t become suspicious that he was _actually_ trying to escape, right?

“-iro?” Hiro, startled, jumped in his seat, before facing the speaker. It was Norman. “Hiro? Did you hear the plan?”

“Huh? What plan?”

“That’s a no then.” Norman sighed. He then said, “Emma, Ray, Tadashi, Don, Gilda, and I are planning to investigate the cement wall around this place.” _Does he mean the fence…? No, he said it was cement, so that must mean there’s another wall…_ “Emma, Tadashi, and I will do the actual investigating, while you, Ray, Don, and Gilda will be a lookout for Mom. If she leaves the house, signal Don and Gilda.”

“Got it.” Hiro nodded. As he watched Norman go back to his friends, he thought over the plan. At first glance, it was solid, almost foolproof. But as he looked at the ‘nook and crannies’ of it – Isabella locking them up, even injuring them – Hiro saw it may just crumble to the ground.

Unfortunately, he was right.

——————

Hiro stood in Isabella’s small room near the dining hall, waiting for her to say a word. The clock ticked back and forth annoyingly, almost taunting the anxious boy. His feet shifted uncomfortably. The plan had just been set into motion, and Isabella had to call him in at this moment of time?!

“I know what your friends planned,” Isabella coldly said. Hiro stiffened. “You think you all can escape… I truly pity you, Hiro. I pity you and your friends for thinking such delusions…”

“Pity?” Hiro said. He didn’t care if she found out about him wanting to escape. No, he was too furious to care. “You _pity_ us?! You’re the one who is an obstacle in our path! You – You side with those demons!”

“They let me live.” Isabella said. “They let me pretend everything’s fine…”

“But everything’s isn’t fine!” Hiro said at the now-exiting Isabella. He did a double take. “W-Where are you going?!”

“Going to let my children live a happy life until their deaths…” Isabella said. A glint of sadness towards Hiro wasn’t seen by said boy. Before Isabella left, she added, “And if you’re wondering where Krone is…” _Wait, Krone?_ “…I eliminated her.”

And then the mother of the ‘orphaned’ children locked the door, and headed straight for Emma and Norman. Meanwhile, Hiro stood there, still and in shock. _I never trusted her, but… Mom actually… killed her?_ Wait, he shouldn’t be dwelling on any thoughts. He should be breaking out of the room!

Hiro charged at the door, only to be met with sheer force. He gripped his shoulder, trying to ease the pain. As he did so, he noticed a window that looked out on the grassy, rolling hills. He smiled.

——————

Hiro ran as fast as he could, gaining speed with every step. His heart raced inside his chest so much he could practically hear each individual thump. His hair was messier than usual, and he had a few bruises here or there. How did he escape, you ask? It’s simple, really – he broke the window with his body.

Hiro faintly heard an agonizing scream, which made him run as fast as he could go. As he came into the clearing, he saw Don, Gilda, and Ray standing there, shocked. Isabella was caressing a crying Emma, who held tightly around a swollen and broken leg. Norman and Tadashi stood appear the giant, cement wall that looked over the forest.

 _W-What happened….? D-Did Mom really just….?_ The thought of Isabella breaking Emma’s leg sickened him to the core. How could someone – no, anyone – do that? Especially to a child?

“I have gotten word from the higher-ups,” Isabella said. “Congratulations, Norman and Hiro…” – she glanced at said children – “…your shipping dates have been sent.”

And that’s when every single hope, determination, and belief of their escape came crumbling down, never to return to the boy ever again….

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to leave a review!


	9. Farewell, Brother

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains thoughts of suicide. It also almost contains an act of suicide.
> 
> A/N: So, you may have not noticed, but I combined Chapter 8 and Chapter 9 into one (which is Chapter 8). I feel like I rushed the last part of Chapter 8, but oh well. Onward we shall go! Also, don't worry about Hiro. I'm sure he's... fine.... *runs away*
> 
> Disclaimer - I don't own The Promised Neverland, or Big Hero 6. If I did, it would be on TV lol

Five-year-old Hiro, with the number 15194, bounced on the balls of his heels, vigorously trying to contain the excitement that swelled up inside him. He tried to take a peek from over the counter, but a younger boy stopped him.

“You can’t do that,” Ray bluntly stated. Hiro’s attention turned to the boy, who had a book resting under his arm. Ray struggled carrying it, but didn’t show it. “Idiots can’t have surprises spoiled,” he added.

Hiro was dazed. “Idiot…? What does that mean, Ray?”

“Uhhh…” Ray stalled, waiting for someone to interrupt the conversation. Fortunately, Emma and Tadashi came bounding in the room, the latter chasing after the former. Face met plaster wall as Emma ran straight into it. Tadashi tried to stop himself from crashing into the girl, but wasn’t able to.

 _Smack!_ Both kids whined, rubbing their heads. Isabella must have heard this, as she rushed into the room. “What happened?” she asked.

Emma’s fingers fumbled in her lap. “W-Well, I was playing with Dashi’s favorite toy, and he found out. He chased me down, and I ran into the wall…”

“But Emma!” Tadashi exclaimed, peeved. “That’s my favorite toy! You can’t have it!”

“Now, Tadashi,” Isabella said kindly, “you can’t keep your favorite toys to yourself. Why, if you did, I think you would have them all!”

“B-But…” Tadashi whined. “It’s not fair, Momma! You let Hiro and Norman have things for themselves! Only them! Why can’t I have my own things too?”

Isabella thought for a moment. “They are my _special_ children, Tadashi.” She placed a warm hand on his shoulder, and said, “Now, why don’t you and Emma make up? Then we can give Hiro his birthday surprise.”

Tadashi, still peeved, though not as much, reluctantly turned to face Emma. “S-Sorry, Emma… You can play with it if you want to.”

“Really?!” The girl asked too quickly. When the boy nodded, Emma cheered before hugging him. Tadashi was taken aback by the sudden gesture, and a blush formed on his cheeks, though it was unnoticeable. As the two broke away, Isabella said, “Now, let’s give the birthday boy what he has been excitedly waiting for.”

“Yay!” Hiro cheered, raising his hands for emphasis. This wonderful, spectacular day was the day he turned six. But it wasn’t just the day to celebrate his birth. No, the demons celebrated it too. For it was the day that he finally could be shipped out.

But who would want to ship out the best of the best? They, definitely, did not want to. At least, not yet. Ever since the day little, genius-boy Hiro turned six years of age, the demons had planned for him to be shipped out to another place.

But this place was no farm like Hiro grew up on. It was a place of pure torture; some would say even an endless, black abyss. Everyone said it was the worst place to be sent to. Well, at least the ones who actually had a mind that worked.

You see, some of them came from plantations unlike anything else. It was disgusting, what the demons did. Living, breathing children sat in giant, foul-stenches rooms, sucking on a machine they supported their life. They did not know how to read, write, or even talk. They were dead inside.

Now, some of these children would be selected to go to this certain place Hiro was destined to go to. These children, unlike the ones with actual thinking capability, were placed in a room with glass walls. Toys littered the place, but the children more so. The mere scene would scar a person for life, so to speak.

And maybe, it would scar the boy too…

——————

Four simple words echoed in eleven-year-old Hiro’s mind. Four simple words that would shake anyone to their core.

_Just kill me now._

It had been a few hours since the announcement. Hiro hadn’t moved from his bed since then. He had blocked everything out of his mind when those words from Isabella were spoken. If a doctor was there to diagnosis the boy, they would most likely say he was in shock.

He was, but…

Hiro was fed up with his life. He wanted to end it. He wanted to _die_. Unfortunately, he got the chance to do just that.

The tired, dreary-eyed boy, who was dressed in a more formal attire, stared dully back at his reflection as he stood in the washroom near the dining hall. Pills sat in a small, plastic container on the counter. He reached for them. For the things that would end his life.

But they stopped him. It was indirectly, but they stopped him. Who were they, you ask? Why, they were Isabella and a formally dressed Norman.

“Hiro, it’s time to say goodbye,” Isabella calmly said. Hiro swiftly turned around, eyes wide. It was already that day? He sadly smiled. To speak the truth, Hiro felt relieved. He wouldn’t have to commit suicide. He would die by their hands instead. It was almost as if some being watching him granted his final wish – the wish to die. It was dark, sure. But he was content with the wish, sticking to it like glue.

As they neared the entrance of the orphanage, Hiro noticed Emma – standing up only because she had crutches – stare at the ground, small tears forming in her eyes. Tadashi stood at the front, shaking with pure rage. But there was a hint of misery and self- blame behind those eyes.

“Goodbye, everyone,” Norman said, smiling as if nothing was wrong. “I hope to write to you every day!”

“Will you write to us too, Hiro?” A girl asked, expecting for a yes. But all she got was a shocked, trembling boy. He couldn’t hear them. It was like he was underwater; all their voices were muffled. The shock of everything came crashing down like a bomb on rock.

He had tried to kill himself.

He had _almost_ killed himself.

What was wrong with him?

And then it was as if time had stopped. Footsteps ran up to him, pounding and reverberating throughout the house. Wide-eyed, Hiro turned to face Tadashi, who collided with him and knocked him to the ground. His hat that he was wearing flew off his head.

“T-Tadashi…” Hiro’s voice broke. Said boy, however, did not get a response. Only a tighter, crushing hug from the ten-year-old. “Dashi, I…”

“Tadashi,” Norman suddenly said, placing a comforting hand on the boy’s back. “Hiro and I need to go.”

“No.” Tadashi replied bitterly. He stood up, facing Norman. “I won’t let you! You both won’t leave!”

Isabella walked over to the angry boy, and rested her hands on his shoulders. She smiled at him fondly. “Why are you like this all of a sudden, Tadashi?” Isabella moved in closer to his face. She quietly whispered to him, and only him, “You know I can kill you, so stop this overreacting. Pretend everything’s fine.”

She looked onward to Hiro, then Norman. “Now, we better get going before you’re adoptive parents get worried,” she said. Picking up the askew hat, she placed the piece of decorative clothing on Hiro’s head before opening the door and gesturing to the outside. Both obliged, and headed to their fate.

As they entered the gate, Isabella asked, “Will you two please wait in here?” As she opened the door, the two stood there, ready to die. But what they saw next made them confused, and even shocked.

A man with long, shoulder-length white hair stood there, a warm and friendly look appearing on his face. He wore a white suit with a black tie. The man asked, “So, this is Hiro, the one who every demon seems to want?”

“Yes, Mr. Ratri,” Isabella replied stoically. “Hiro and Norman both excel at the tests their given.”

“I’ve been told,” Ratri replied. He looked the two boys up and down, then back at Isabella. “I’m sure you have everything settled?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Good.” The man turned his attention back on the boys. He said, “Hello there, Hiro and Norman.”

“Who are you? I thought we were to be killed.” Norman asked, confusion evident in his voice. The man replied with, “I’m Peter Ratri… As for being killed, you and your friend Hiro will be going someplace special.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh, you thought I'd kill Hiro off, didn't you? NOPE! Of course, if you had read the manga, you may have already seen this coming... So, yeah, Peter Ratri is finally here XD I am also pleased to say I have finished the first act of the story. The second act will revolve around the Imperial Capital and stuff.
> 
> PS: Don't forget to leave a comment!


	10. Lambda 7214

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh.... hi...?  
> Sorry it's been a while. I've been busy with school and a project I'm currently working on.... Anyways, here is Chapter 10. Just to warn you, from this moment forward, there will be manga spoilers. So, if you haven't read the manga, you'll be spoiled.

How long has it been? A week? No, a month? Hiro could not tell as he sat on his cloud white bed in the pure white room. His dull eyes stared into the void that had consumed his life. His pale skin, with his thin frame, made him look homeless.

In the center of the room stood a table, a chair next to it. A plastic tray with food sat there, rotting away. Hiro never ate. He just sat there, waiting for the torture to come. It wasn’t the questions that Hiro thought to be torture. No, it was the experiments – the same experiments that were strictly only done on the brain-dead children.

Norman never went through what Hiro went through. It puzzled him, really. Why would the demons do it to Hiro, but not to Norman? Did they simply want to torture the suicidal boy?

The door to the room slammed open like a whip. Two demons walked over to the boy, taking hold of his arms. Hiro didn’t resist as they dragged him off, across the hall that overlooked the children from the horrible plantations, and into another room.

The stench of blood was so bad Hiro mildly gagged. Bodies lay here or there, dead, bloody, and pale. But as the boy was laid onto a table stained with dried blood, he knew he would end up like them someday. He just wondered when.

“Strap him down.” A gruffly demon’s voice said to another of it’s kind. The demon nodded his head, before tightly strapping the boy to where he could not move even an inch. Hiro closed his eyes as the demon grabbed a syringe filled with a anesthetic liquid. The demon then rolled up the boy’s sleeve, and injected Hiro with the liquid.

They say anesthetics supposedly reduced the patient’s pain of an operation. But they were wrong. Hiro could feel every single incision they did to him. He could hardly understand how he could stand it, since it lasted an hour or two.

Hiro went straight to his bed and curled up into a ball later that day. He moved not even a centimeter, as his whole body screamed with pain. Lacerations and incisions filled every inch of his body. Blood trickled out of them here or there.

Tears fell from the boy’s eyes. _Why? Why does this have to happen? Can’t I just die already?!_ But before any more thoughts entered his tired mind, he fell into a deep sleep, one that would show his worst fears…

_“Hello?” Hiro’s voiced echoed in the vast emptiness. Darkness covered every inch of his vision as he tried to figure out where exactly he was. From the corner of his right eye, a small light dimly shone throughout the ‘void’, as he now called it. Hiro started for that light, wanting to be free of the gloomy, dark place he currently was in, but it was no use, as he found out he couldn’t move. “What…?”_

_“Hello, 15194.” A small, childish voice playfully said from behind him. Hiro swiftly turned, a bit frightened at the new sound. But all he saw was null and void. “I am truly sorry about what has happened to you,” the voice said again. This time, Hiro was able to catch a glimpse of who it was._

_A demon. Standing there. With a child-like persona. “Soon, though, something will happen… And you will be free… Maybe…”_

_“What…?”_

Hiro sat up, sweat running down his brow. Eyes darted around the room frantically, as if searching for someone. But as he controlled himself, he wondered about the ‘nightmare’ he had just had. _Who was that demon? Was it… even a demon? It was so child-like, and… Non-threatening?_

Hiro couldn’t even fathom was had transpired in his mind. So he sat there, trying to figure it all out. But the more he did, the more his head would start to hurt.

All of a sudden, he coughed.

He had been having coughs for a while – well, ever since he had gotten to this nightmarish farm. But it wasn’t the coughs that would make someone worry. It was what the coughs would… produce, so to say. It was unnatural for anyone to do this, at least it was to Hiro. He didn’t think Norman had them, since the platinum blonde wasn’t being tortured as he was.

Red liquid. _Blood_. On his hands. Hiro quickly grabbed the napkin that sat by the still-untouched food, and rubbed his hands clean. Well, as clean as one would get them to be. He then laid down on the firm bed he had been sleeping on, eyes staring up at the white ceiling, waiting for sleep to take over once more.

——————

Two demons dragged Hiro a cross the hallway, the boy’s head hung low. He stared at the ground as he headed to be ‘experimented’ on again. But suddenly, without warning, an alarm blared on the overhead speakers, and then, a voice.

“22194 has escaped. I repeat, 22194-.” But before the demon speaking could continue, there was a crashing sound, then a loud bang. After a moment, the noise from the speakers became deathly silent.

 _Norman’s escaped? H-How?_ As much as he wanted to die, part of Hiro tugged on that oh so dimly light that represented his life. But he knew, no matter how hard they tried, they would die in the end.

“Looks like your friend escaped,” one of the demons said. He turned to the other demon, and said, “Let’s bring him back to his room, then help the others.” The other nodded, before both demons gripped Hiro’s arm tighter, making said boy yelp slightly, and dragged him back off to his room.

BANG! The two demons that were ‘escorting’ Hiro suddenly went flying back, falling hard onto the concrete flooring. The boy swore he heard their bones crack.

“Hiro!” Norman’s voice rang out. Turning his head towards the voice, Hiro saw a platinum-blonde, adult-looking eleven-year-old rush up to him, checking his bruised and injured body. “What happened?”

“What do you mean?” Hiro asked quizzically. But before a quizzical-looking Norman could ask, a seventeen-year-old _bald_ teenage boy ran up to him and said, “The exit’s all clear. Hey, is this the friend you were talking about?” The boy added, noticing Hiro.

“Yeah, Vincent.” Norman turned back to Hiro. “Come on, Hiro. We have to hurry before they get reinforcements.” But the boy stood there, numb to his surroundings, as his ears rung loudly. He saw Norman and Vincent’s eyes grow to concern, but couldn’t understand why.

But then he did as he fell to the floor, violently coughing. He couldn’t make out what Vincent was saying, but he did see the boy hand Norman a bottle filled with pills. The latter then bent down, and placed a hand on Hiro’s shoulder. Before long, the coughing had stopped. What surprised Hiro was that there was no blood. For _this time, at least._

“Here,” Norman uncapped the pill bottle and dumped one small, circular pill into his hand. “Take this,”he added, offering Hiro the pill. The black-haired boy quickly grabbed the pill, and swallowed it dry. He didn’t even know people could do such a thing until now.

“Now, like I said before, we have to hurry before they get reinforcements.” Norman said, standing. Hiro didn’t move from his spot. “…Hiro?”

A teary-eyed, depressed Hiro looked up at Norman. Barely a whisper, he asked, “W-We’re actually free…?”

Norman bent down to Hiro’s level “Yeah, Hiro, we are.” He said, smiling happily. Hiro knew, right at that moment, it was true. And from that moment onward, he would never look to die, but to merely live and escape the wretched place they lived in…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, and um, this story may go on hiatus....? *runs away in fear*


	11. Making a Choice

_“They’re catching up to us!” Vincent stated as he, Norman, and Hiro ran for the exit that two children were guarding. As soon as they got there, Norman pressed, “You go first, Hiro!”_

_“What?” Hiro said, on edge for obvious reasons. “No, Norman, you have to-!”_

_“Does it matter who goes?!” Vincent asked in annoyance as he whipped his head around, semi-glaring at the two boys. Not wanting to stand around and wait for the demons to catch up to them, Norman quickly started down the ladder tunnel, but stopped midway, yelling, “We can’t go down this way!”_

_“What? Why not?” was Vincent’s reply. Meanwhile, a feeling of dread washed over him. He knew_ exactly _why they couldn’t escape down that way. Norman scurried out of the blocked exit, and quickly searched for another way out._

_“Vincent, you got the blueprints to this place?” Norman asked in a rush. “Know which way another tunnel is?”_

_“Oh.” Vincent said, grasping hold of the situation. Fumbling to gain composure, he said, “Yes. It’s down this hall, and to the right.”_

_“Did you hear that?” a demon’s voice suddenly asked from far off. Norman quickly grabbed hold of Hiro – who currently was panicking – and ran down the hallway as if his life depended on it (which it did). Vincent followed in suite._

_“Take a right.” Vincent ordered as they came to an intersection in the hallways. Norman obeyed, pulling the still-panicking boy along. As they neared the exit, which was the same as the previous one, Hiro regained some composure._

_“I think they went this way!” A demon’s voice rung throughout the hallways. Footsteps pounded the floor as Norman started down the ladder after Vincent had gone down. As Hiro started for his freedom that was now in his grasp, he felt something tighten around his waist._

No, no, no, no, no! This – This can’t -! _Hiro’s thoughts jumbled into a panicked state as the demon lifted the boy up. He scanned him from head to toe. “So, this is a premium quality… Looks delicious.” But the boy in the demon’s firm grip heard nothing, and felt as if he was underwater._

_The next few moments of his life, Hiro would never figure out. One moment, he was in the demon’s grasp. Th next, a luscious forest._

_But what made Hiro confused most of all was the voices - they sounded as if they were underwater._

_“…iro!”_

_“…is….breathing?”_

_“You….okay… I promise.”_

_Promise? Promise what?_

_Suddenly he was in the pitch black room. The childish demon stood before him._

_“W-What’s going on…?” Hiro asked in a panicky voice. “W…Who are you…?”_

_“Oh, me?” The demon said. “I’m a friend… Or, I would like to be.” The demon giggled. “Now, about that wound…”_

_“You didn’t answer my question.” Hiro deadpanned. The demon pouted, looking as if her mother had taken away her toys. Unamused, the demon said, “Come on, Hiro. Have a little faith in your friend, now.”_

_“I don’t even know you!” Hiro stared. “And you’re a demon!”_

_“Now, that is just stereotypical of you,” the demon said. “But, if you wish, I’ll tell you who I am…”_

Hiro leaned over the balcony, looking out over the hidden paradise he now lived in. It had been two years since the escape, and he was living with the other children in what they called Paradise Hideout, which used to be a demon clan’s village. At least, that’s what Hiro heard from Norman…

All was well for the cattle children. Sometimes Norman, Vincent, and a few other older children would go out on ‘rescue missions’ (as Hiro started calling them), and save children from the awful farms they had to live in. Hiro would never accompany them, as he could never handle the circumstances.

The only thing to make him not be at peace and live happily in this ‘paradise’ were two things. The first was that he wondered about Tadashi and the others, and whether they were okay… or not. He rarely had thoughts of them dying, but when he did, he would think it was his fault. Why? He mused the thought to himself countless times, but never seemed to get a direct answer.

The second reason was not because of anything worrying or nagging at Hiro’s insides - no, it was because of a childish and annoying girl who would visit him every few nights. Now, you may be thinking, why was this a problem? One simple reason.

That girl was a demon. A _demon_. A real, living demon.

Norman didn’t know about Arin (the demon). Come to think of it, no one except Hiro himself knew about Arin. And the boy wanted to keep it that way. If he _did_ tell anyone, it would anyone but Norman. Mainly due to the fact that he was wanting to eradicate every single demon. Personally, Hiro was fine with that. The demons were eating humans, for goodness sake! But somewhere deep down, the boy thought it to be slightly… wrong.

As he watched a few children play in the courtyard, Hiro noticed Hayato and Jin walking in from the entrance, a pile of children behind them. The group of children seemed to be mesmerized at the hideout, looking this way or that. But what made Hiro catch his breath was three specific children in that group.

“Norman!” Hiro yelled, full of joy as he raced up the stairs, through a hallway, and into Norman’s study. Norman looked up from some papers, and went to the boy, who currently was trying to catch his breath.

“Hiro, what’s wrong?” Norman asked in a collective, yet stern manner. “Did something happen?”

“No – it’s the opposite, Norman!” Hiro exclaimed. “I saw Hayato and Jin come back from their expedition, and – and they’re alive! They’re alive, Norman!”

Hayato was heard knocking on door. Then, he said, “Boss, she and the boy are here.”

“Let them in.” was Norman’s simple reply. Hayato opened the door, and Norman addressed him with, “Thanks, Hayato. You may leave now.”

“Yessir!” was the speedy boy’s reply. As he left, Hiro turned his gaze to a shocked and stunned Emma and Tadashi. Both were frozen still like statues. That was, until Tadashi spoke up, his voice cracking.

“…Hiro?” Tears rolled down the twelve-year-old’s eyes like a waterfall. “You’re… alive?” But instead of Hiro responding, said boy sprung on his feet and embraced Tadashi with a hug. After they parted, Hiro said, “I’m alive, Tadashi.”

“But… how?” Tadashi said after they parted. Confusion swept across his face. “Weren’t they going to…?”

“Why don’t you and Tadashi go in a spare room and talk, while me and Emma catch up?” Norman suggested. Hiro obliged, and two went into a hallway. As the friends went down the hall looking for a spare room, one that notably didn’t have of the young children in them, Tadashi said, “I can’t believe you and Norman are really alive!”

“Yep.” Hiro said, opening a door and finding it empty (save for a couch or two). “Come on, we can talk in here,” he added, gesturing to the room’s entrance.

——————

“So,” Hiro said, trying to digest it all, “you made friends with two demons, found one of Minerva’s secret bases, and liberated a demon hunting ground?” Hiro looked at Tadashi, who sat opposite of him. He looked a bit mad, but at the same time relieved.

“If you think I’ll ever be friends with demons,” Tadashi spat, cold to the core. “You’re dead wrong.”

“But Tadashi, by the way you-!”

“I’d never have any ties to those horrid creatures,” Tadashi continued, ignoring Hiro. The latter was beginning to feel as though something changed inside his friend, something… bad. But nonetheless, Hiro was understanding about what Tadashi told him – all except for the part where all demons were bad.

“Tadashi, just because they’re demons, doesn’t mean they’re bad ones!” Hiro tried to reason with him. Tadashi looked at him, disgusted by what his friend had just said.

“Really?” Tadashi’s tone sounded too sarcastic for a good guy. “Then you tell me, Hiro – what have the demons done to you that makes them friends?”

“Tadashi, I-.” Hiro hesitated. Should he tell him about Arin, or not? Would he think that he was a coward trying to hide from the truth? But, pray tell, exactly was the truth anymore? Hiro couldn’t find an answer.

 _“Do you really believe this idiot?”_ Arin’s voice rung out in his head.

 _“Arin!”_ Hiro thought back. _“He’s not an idiot! He’s my friend.”_

 _“Oh, yeah.”_ Did she just roll her eyes? _“A friend who thinks demons are all bad. Totally a friend I’d want.”_

Hiro grumbled in annoyance. _“But Arin, they_ are _bad!”_

 _“Uh-huh.”_ Arin said in a sarcastic tone. _“And what about me, huh? Am I evil and wanting to eat humans?”_

_“Well… no. But you’re different!”_

_“Like I didn’t notice. Of course I’m different, Hiro! I not only have powers to communicate with humans, but I also am royalty to the throne!”_

…What? _“Wait, what did you just say, Arin?”_

 _“Uhh… nothing! Gotta go!”_ And that’s when their connection was lost. Hiro tried to call out to her I his mind, but silence was the only answer he got.

“…iro?” Tadashi’s voice came into focus, snapping the former out of his thoughts. “You alright there, knucklehead?”

“Y-Yeah…” But Hiro’s mind raced with thoughts. Was what Tadashi said true? Were all demons bad? Was… Arin bad too? And if she was, was she only using him to gain something or someone?

Hiro could only guess as he and Tadashi headed for dinner.

——————

It was a few days before Hiro saw Norman again. In that amount of time, he had reunited with his other friends. He also had learned that Emma had to leave Phil and the younger ones with Isabella, hence their absence.

What troubled Hiro in this time was the lack of conversations with Arin. Ever since the day he and Tadashi reunited, and Arin had said some things Hiro guessed she shouldn’t have said, he heard not a word from her. And it scared him. Not because she had said some things to be suspicious about; no, it was because Hiro didn’t want her to end up being like the demons he had come in contact with. That, and he seemed to be growing a fondness for her…

As Hiro sauntered down the stairs, he heard racing footsteps, then Barbara, with her long ponytail, shouted, “Hey, short-stack! The Boss wants to see you!”

“But I – fine…” Hiro turned to face the girl, not wanting to face her wrath at disobeying orders. If Norman wanted to see someone, he _would_ see them. Even if it meant them being dragged back to the study. How did he know this? Well, he may have done once… or twice… Hiro never forgot how scary Barbara was, and vowed to not disobey ever again. Curious, Hiro asked her, “What did he say he wanted me for?”

“Dunno.” And off the girl went, gun slinging over her shoulder. Hiro watched her go off into the training grounds, before heading to see Norman, or as most children called him, William Minerva. As he entered the study, Hiro noticed Cislo (a Lambda escapee) sitting on one of the couches near the desk. He looked up, and said, “Hey, Hiro. Boss, he’s–.”

“I can see him, Cislo.” Norman sighed. “Will you excuse us for a moment?”

“Yes, sir!” Cislo obeyed, and headed out of the room. He closed the door behind him. As Hiro looked back at Norman, he asked, “Barbara said you wanted to see me?”

“Yes.” Norman said in a boss-like manner. He stood and sat on a couch. Hiro did the same, sitting opposite of him. “I’m currently wanting to track down Sonju and Mujika, and have gotten Don and Gilda to do so,” he continued. “I want you to go with them.”

“You mean the Sonju and Mujika that Tadashi told me about?” Hiro said. _Why does Norman want them to be sought after? Are they important?_

Norman nodded. “Mujika is a special demon. She has blood that can make demons not devolve if they do not eat humans for long. Which means they’ll keep their humanoid aspect.”

“So… you want to seek her out, and give her blood to all the demons?”

“…No.”

“No?” Hiro asked, puzzled. What else would Norman want her for, then? Wait… did he…? _But they’re not bad demons!... I think._ Hiro then asked, which was rather darkly of him, “You’re planning to assassinate her and Sonju, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Norman stated simply, not flinching at the harsh tone in Hiro’s voice. “You’ll be accompanied by Hayato and Ayshe.”

“But Norman, they’re not bad demons.” Hiro defended. “At least, from what I’ve heard…”

“You heard about them from Tadashi, correct?” Hiro nodded. “Then there is your answer.”

“That’s not an answer, Norman,” Hiro counteracted, shaking his head in defiance. “Tadashi thinks that every demon is purely evil and wants to eat humans.”

“Do you believe in that?”

“I…” Hiro faltered. Norman took this as a sign of weakness, and said, “You’re like Emma, you know that? She doesn’t want to kill them… I thought you would understand that, Hiro, since you were tortured for months by their very hands… I didn’t think you’d defend them.”

“I…” Hiro carefully chose his next words. “Norman, those demons – they worked for–!”

“That doesn’t change anything.” Norman calmly said. “You know first-hand how horrible demons are, Hiro. What’s to say Emma’s demon friends aren’t the same?”

Norman was right. _Maybe… Maybe they should be killed._ It felt like he was playing tug-a-war, trying to decide whose side he was on – except he was the rope, and Emma and Tadashi were the players.

——————

The wolves trekked through the forest, their noises held high as they sniffed for any scent of the two demons. Ayshe followed them, searching for signs of any passer-Byers. Don, Gilda followed after her, Hiro and Hayato making up the rear.

“Hey, I found some footprints!” Hayato exclaimed, pointing to the footprints engraved in the rough dirt ground. Hiro watched as Gilda and Don went over to investigate. As Gilda looked over the racks, her nose scrunched up into that of confusion.

“These footprints aren’t right,” Gilda mused to herself. “They’re too big to be Mujika’s, and too small to be Sonju’s. And whoever made them seemed to have no effort to disguise them… If you look closely, they seemed to be walking on all fours.”

“So?” Hiro asked. _What does that have to do with it?_

“They must’ve been made by a small, wild demon, then,” Gilda said, not hearing Hiro’s question. It was a few moments of walking before they found another clue.

“Here’s a campfire!” Hayato exclaimed again. But both Gilda and Don seemed to not think it was either Sonju or Mujika who made it, as Don said, “These are human bones… So it can’t be Sonju’s group.”

 _How can he just hold it so calmly?! It’s human bones for crying out loud!_ Hiro thought, freaked out over the pile of bones.

 _“It’s just a bunch of bones, Hiro.”_ Arin’s voice said to him. Hiro physically jumped at this, not thinking Arin would say anything to him. But here she was, speaking to him after such a long time.

 _“’Just a bunch of bones’?! Those are bones from humans!”_ Hiro defended. _“A-and why are you just now deciding to speak with me?”_ But he got no answer.

——————

It had been two days since they had started their search for the demons, and Hiro was having trouble sleeping. Not that he couldn’t. It was just that he, well… had nightmares, is all. Not nightmares like what he had in Lambda 7214; it was nightmares of being tortured. And it was gruesome.

So here was Hiro, sitting up against a tree, thinking over things.

_“…horrid creatures…”_

_“…I thought you would understand that, Hiro…”_

_“…You’re planning to assassinate her and Sonju, aren’t you?”_

Hiro was torn between sides. Which too choose? The side where genocide on demons is committed, or the side where you could be friends with them? He was to the point of breaking. Hiro so badly wanted to kill them all, and yet… He wanted to become friends with them. But… why? Did it have something to do with Arin…? No, he knew it wasn’t right to kill them. But still… They did horrible, unforgettable, and even scarring things to the boy. He couldn’t forgive them for that. He could _never_ forgive them.

And that’s when he chose the path Emma did not want to take, the path that was so, very wrong…

The path that would commit genocide to all demons.

The path to take vengeance of the ones who experimented on him.

The path to kill Mujika and Sonju.


	12. The Cursed Blood

_Crunch!_

Hiro shot up from his make-shift bed, looking this way and that, trying to figure out who made the sound. As he adjusted to the darkness, Hiro’s eyes squinted at seeing a small figure walking off into the woods. It was Hayato.

 _What’s he doing this late at night?_ Hiro mused to himself. After deciding whether he should follow or not, Hiro, as fast as lightning, stood up and slowly made his way over to where the boy vanished. He tried to be as quiet as possible, so not the wake up Don and Gilda – or even Ayshe, for that matter. If he did, her wolves would most likely think he was a demon.

As he tip-toed around the corner where Hayato had vanished, Hiro gasped. Standing in front of Hayato were five bulky children who had been experimented on at Lambda 7214. Hayato’s friend, Jin, sat on a thick, bumpy tree root next to them.

“I see…” Jin said, almost as if in thought. “So, no tracks today, either?”

“Yeah…” Hayato replied, too stunned by the burly children to say anything more. Jin cupped his chin for a second, before turning to face Hayato. But whatever he was going to say, he didn’t, as, at that moment, he noticed Hiro standing near a tree, a hand subconsciously touching its bark.

“Nice to see you again, Hiro.” Jin remarked. Hayato’s eyes followed Jin as he jumped off the tree branch and walked over to Hiro. “Norman would like to know your decision,” he added, voice full of authority.

“What ‘decision’?” Hiro asked. What was he talking about?

“You know what I’m talking about.”

Oh.

That decision.

“So?” Jin pressed, eyes turning to slits. “What will it be? Defending demons, or eradicating them to bring justice to those who were hurt in impossible ways?”

“They should die.” Hiro stated coldly, eyes not visible due to him staring at the ground. A few trees rustled by, making the setting now eerily serene. “They need to die. And that means killing Mujika and Sonja too.”

 _“So… you think all demons should be murdered? Including me?”_ Arin’s voice echoed in his mind.

 _“What? Arin, no!”_ Hiro shot back. _“I- I mean, yes! But not you! You’re my friend.”_

 _“So? I’m a demon too. Shouldn’t I be killed?”_ Arin said. Hiro’s heart shattered into a million pieces at this. Guilt washed over the boy; he had never should have said that.

_“Arin, I-!”_

_“The Queen was right… You humans were meant to only be eaten.”_

_“No, Arin! I- I didn’t mean-!”_

But there was no response. Just white noise and a boy who has indirectly turned against his friend.

——————

 _Woof! Woof!_ A furry, grey wolf howled, head held high with pride. As the group came to check out what Ayshe’s wolf had found, Hiro noticed a pair of demon tracks.

A few moments of analysis was all Don and Gilda needed before the former answered in a eccentric voice, “These are Mujika’s footprints!”

“And these were made last night, or this morning!” A giddy Gilda added. Hiro could only watch as the two got more and more excited to see their friends again. He wondered if killing them was wrong, but rid the thought with a shake of his head. _No, Hiro. They_ need _to be killed. Otherwise, we’ll have no freedom._

“The tracks go this way!” Don exclaimed. “Come on!” The two happy friends raced down the pathway, Ashe, Hayato, and Hiro in tow. When they caught up to them, he saw three demons standing in front of them.

One was a young woman, cloaked in a finely woven leather. She had light purple hair and a gravel grey mask that covered her face. The only part not covered was her mouth. She seemed to be feeding the third demon, which acted and had similar ire to that of a horse.

The second demon, a tall man with a built figure, was also cloaked in leather. His grey mask covered most of his face, except for his mouth, too.

“Sonju! Mujika!” Don and Gilda yelled in joy as they embrace each demon with a hug. After letting go, Gilda continued on with, “I missed you guys!”

“I missed you a lot, too.” Mujika said. After a beat, she added, “Are you guys doing well? You two became so big! …What’s the matter?”

“Mujika, we’d like to-.” But no other word came out of Gilda’s mouth as Jin and the five burly Lambda children emerged from the shadows. _What? Wait, Hayato must’ve used the clicker he got._ During last night, Jin revealed that, when the Cursed Blood and her accomplice was to be found, Hayato needed to click the clicker three times, which would send a signal to Jin as to where their location was.

“Don, Gilda, forgive us…” Jin said with a steady breath. Gilda and Don turned to face Hiro, who dejected looked anywhere but his friends.

“Hiro, did you know about this?” Gilda asked. But when no sound came out of the boy, Gilda covered her mouth in shock, a light gasp escaping her lips.

But the gasp wasn’t just because of Hiro’s betrayal – no, it was because Sonju stood right behind Jin. Jin’s eyes – and everyone else’s – widened at this. Was Sonju going to kill Jin?

“Who is going to finish who?” A smirk danced across Sonju’s mouth, showing his pointed teeth. “Strike back. Flee. You may live if you want to live now.”

“Jin!” Hayato cried out, before being pushed down by Ayshe. Out of the corner of his eye, Hiro saw two of the Lambda children waver before collapsing onto the ground. _He already got them?!_

“I’ll tell you one last time.” Sonju threatened, the spear he held mere inches from Jin’s throat. “Leave this place.”

“Wake up!” Jin yelled out to the burly children that lay on the ground. “Forget about me, just kill them!”

As if by a miracle, the burly children from Lambda stirred from their slumber, slowly standing on their feet. Soon, they had surrounded the demon.

Hiro stood there, not knowing what to do. _I don’t have a weapon! I can’t help Jin and them!_ But then he saw a lone gun laying on the forest floor, as if it had been thrown out. The children and demons were too preoccupied to notice Hiro grabbing and loading the gun.

“I care not what this is about!” Sonju declared as he dodged a log that was smashed into pieces after being thrown. “But if you lay one hand on-!”

“Sonju!” Mujika squeaked out. Everyone turned to find a trembling Hiro holding a gun to the demon’s head. Hiro’s eyes were filled with uncertainty as he saw Sonju seethe with anger.

“One more step, and I’ll kill her!” Hiro tried his best to sound confident and sure. Unluckily, he had failed. “I’ll shoot her right here, right now!”

“Get. Away. From. Mujika!” Sonju’s anger boiled and dripped from every word. But just as the demon ran up to Hiro, Sonju didn’t expect what happened next.

The gun had fallen to the ground.

Mujika quickly darted away from Hiro, and was embraced into another hug. But the happiness at Mujika being alive soon dissipated.

_THUMP!_

Hiro collapsed to the floor, clutching his head, as he screamed in gut-wrenching agony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My poor boy....


	13. The Real Choice

Hiro could only watch as Mujika dashed from Sonju’s protective arms and onto the ground next to him. Don and Gilda followed up behind her, concern etched delicately on their faces. No noise came out of their moving lips. His eyesight became almost unseeable due to the amount of tears that flowed out of his eyes. _M-Make it s-s-stop… p-p-p-please…_

As if someone answered his one wish, the pain ebbed away. _W-What?_ Hiro turned his head to the side to see Mujika putting an empty syringe back in a medicine bag that Jin had with him. _Oh…_ She had given him medicine. Wait…

The _demon_ had given him medicine.

Hiro fumbled as he scooted himself away from the kind demon, eyes frantically looking at his surroundings. Jin and the Lambda children had been tied up, and Don and Gilda were talking to Sonju. He saw Ayshe walk over to him, wolves following behind. She said a few words to the demon; words that Hiro didn’t understand. Was she speaking their native language?

After talking with Mujika, Ayshe walked over to a shaking Hiro, crouching down to his level. Hiro looked into her crystal blue eyes, searching for something. All he could find was a girl who was taken from her demon father.

A wolf nuzzled Hiro in the legs, before sitting next to him. Hiro, smiling halfheartedly, scratched behind the wolf’s ear. The wolf seemed to like this, as his tail began to wag. Gilda walked up to the two, looking as if she had cried.

“I’m glad you’re okay, Hiro!” She exclaimed, hugging him. After they parted, she said, “Hiro, did you… did you know? Did you know about Norman preparing to attack the Royal Capital?”

“W-What?” _He’s actually going to…_ “I… Norman never informed me about it, but I… I was thinking that it would happen sometime in the future…” He sighed. “After all, I… I _want_ them to die.”

“Hiro…” Gilda said, not wanting to believe he truly wanted that. “Look, I can see that you… went through some things, and that makes you want them all dead. I get it.” Hiro looked up at her, listening to her every word. “But, Hiro… They’re not what you think they are.”

“What?” Hiro’s voice was cold as stone. He stood up, having recovered. The wolf backed up, whimpering slightly. “What?” the boy repeated. “Did you not see what they do? They kill us to eat us! H-How can you just-?!”

Gilda suddenly did something unexpected. Hiro at first didn’t process what she did, but then his brain started working.

Gilda had embraced him in a hug that meant, “It’s okay. Everything will be alright.”

Hiro’s head buried into Gilda’s shoulder as the boy poured his heart out, tears continuing to flow from the corners of his eyes.

The strife.

The onslaught of pain.

It was too much to bear. And worst of all, Hiro had chosen to side with killing the demons. And for what? To get revenge on them? No, he didn’t want that. He wanted justice for every child that had been traumatized by everything. He wanted vengeance.

But the demon who stood in front of him—the demon who had saved his life—proved him wrong. So did Ari. Demons were just like humans. They acted the same, like humans. All they were doing was raising cattle, just like humans did to cows or chickens, to be eaten.

 _“Arin, if… if you’re hearing me…”_ Hiro said through tears. _“Just know that I’m sorry… I’m sorry for wanting to kill your kind. I’m sorry for thinking that… I-I hope you can forgive me.”_

No reply was heard from his friend. He wasn’t surprised; truth be told, he had expected the painful silence.

After the two friends parted, and Hiro composed his emotional self, the boy said, “Now, let’s go stop Norman.”

“What about Tadashi?” Hiro turned to face Jin, who was still tied up. “He seemed very committed to it; even more so than Norman was.”

“What?” Hiro’s defensive mechanisms kicked in. “Are you saying that Tadashi—Jin, he wouldn’t do that!”

“Seemed on a war path to me,” Jin commented. “Even at the mention of demons, he gets all… angry, and storms off.” _What is he talking about?_ “I followed him once and saw something I wished I hadn’t.” Jin shivered at the memory.

“What? Jin, what do you mean?” When no answer came, Hiro pressed, “What did he do?”

“He brutally killed a demon that was going to eat him. And he _liked_ it.” Jin said. _What? N-No! Tadashi would never do that!_

Jin noticed the boy’s denial, and asked, “Are you so sure about that? The facts are all there, Hiro.”

_“I’d never have any ties to those horrid creatures.”_

_“If you think I’d be friends with them, you’re dead wrong.”_

“Stop it!” Hiro spat, clutching his head. Tears welled in his eyes, but didn’t fall. “You’re wrong! Tadashi’s not like that!”

Jin only stared at him in thought.

“… So, are you ready to go, Hiro?” Gilda said a few minutes after the outburst of the accusation concerning Tadashi had been spoken. The boy in question faced Gilda, determination filling his eyes. He nodded. _I’ll prove to Jin that he’s wrong! Just because Tadashi said those hurtful things, and brutally killed a demon, doesn’t mean he would do that to all of them out of pleasure!_

“Good.” Don said. He turned to face the rope-free Jin, Hayato, and Lambda children. “See you guys back at the hideout!” Both Don and Gilda waved goodbye. Hiro only stared at the ground, still angry at Jin.

——————

The trees bathed their worn-out bodies in a multitude of shade as they trekked through the dangerous, yet calm forest. Sonju took up the front, acting as the shield of the group. Don and Gilda held up the rear, covering their tracks as they went along. Hiro and Mujika were sandwiched between Sonju and them.

As the two walked side-by-side, Hiro started to feel uncomfortable with the silence that plagued them since the start of their journey. He wanted to tell Mujika sorry about what he did, but couldn’t muster enough courage.

“It’s okay, Hiro,” Mujika said, gazing into his eyes. “I’m not going to attack you.”

“I-It’s not that…” Hiro trailed off. “I… You know what I did…? Earlier…?”

Mujika’s head angled to the side some. “Oh, you mean you attacking me?” Hiro gave a mumbled ‘Yes’. “There’s nothing to be scared of. You just thought you were doing the right thing,” Mujika added, a gentle smile appearing on her face.

“I-I guess…”

“Get down!” Sonju yelled, tackling Hiro to the ground. The boy’s heart raced, eyes frantic in every movement. He felt a burning sting in his back, like a giant wasp had stung him. Tears poured out of him, not wanting to end any time soon. Suppressing a scream of agony, Hiro tried to see what had attacked him. But the only thing he could see was Mujika’s arms as she cradled the pained boy.

“W-Wha…?” His voice was strained due to the pain. “Mujika, what’s…?”

“Don’t look.” Mujika ordered. “You may pass out.”

_What did she…?_

Ever heard of curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back? Well, Hiro was definitely curious. So he decided to look…

Satisfaction did not come to him.

A pool of blood.

He was _laying_ in a pool of blood. Air caught in his throat as he tried not to gag at the sight of it.

“Get them to the Royal Capital!” Where was Sonju’s voice coming from? Why did it sound… so distant? “Leave this to me!”

“Sonju, no!” Hiro heard Mujika cry out. From what he felt, Hiro concluded that a bandage or cloth was being wrapped around his back wound. He couldn’t place who was doing it, though he suspected it was Gilda, as she kneeled next to the injured boy and the demon.

“I’ll be… fine.” Sonju said through gritted teeth. “Just make sure to keep them safe! I’ll meet you there!”

Hiro saw Gilda yell out in worry for him. But why…? And why did he feel sleepy…?

Without warning, Hiro slipped into unconsciousness.

_His vision adjusted to the dim light as he looked over the place he stood in. A comfy, yet royal-like, bed, with its canopy covering the inside, stood against the opposite wall, a footstool resting at the end of the bed. A map of the demon world was displayed on the wall behind Hiro._

_“H-Hiro?!” A voice whisper-shouted as she walked in the room. It was Arin. “W-What?! How-?!”_

_“Arin?!” Hiro shouted. He had expected it to be some other demon, not her. “Wait, where am I?!”_

_“My room, by the looks of it.” Arin walked over and sat down on the footstool, holding a plate that had… “Why exactly are you here, Hiro?” she added, taking a bite of the brain._

_“Would you believe me,” Hiro squeaked out, “if I told you I have no idea why?”_

_Arin deadpanned. “Yeah, and I’m against eating humans.”_

_“Arin, I’m sorry!” Hiro tried to apologize. All he got in return was a cold stare that made you wish you were dead. “… Please forgive me…”_

_“You think I’m going to forgive you just like that?”_

_“I-I know, and-.”_

_“… fine.” Arin sighed. “I… forgive you. But it isn’t because of you saying sorry right now.” She added, seeing Hiro’s hopeful gaze. “I heard what you said earlier, Hiro. You felt… genuine. Hurt. In pain…”_

_A silence washed over them, before Arin said, “Now, go stop your friends from killing my kind, will you short-stack?”_

_As his vision blackened once again, he could’ve sworn he saw Arin smile at him._

“… iro?” A familiar, cheery voice doused in worry asked. “… come on… you got to…”

Hiro’s eyes slowly opened. “Wha…?” He sat up, but winced as pain coursed through his body. His stiff neck became loosened as he looked at his surroundings. They seemed to be in an alleyway.

“Good, he’s awake,” Ray said bluntly. Hiro saw Emma and Ray had sneaked in by pretending to be demons, as they wore demon garb. Masks settled on top of their heads. “We better get going,” he added.

“Wait, Ray.” Emma said. Hiro tuned their conversation out, due to seeing Don, Gilda, Mujika, and Sonju standing near the back of the alleyway. As he tried—and failed—to stand, Emma told Ray, “He can’t go with us! He’s injured!”

“Go with you?” Hiro interrupted them. “What do you mean?”

“To stop Norman and Tadashi,” Ray stated. He glanced at Emma. “Emma here wants you to help talk things out with them… or, at least Tadashi.”

“He can be persuaded, Ray!” Emma defended. “I know he can! Tadashi wouldn’t kill them out of pleasure!”

Ray scoffed. “Did you not see what he did to those demons at Goldy Pond, Emma? Yugo couldn’t stop him! No one could.”

“But, Ray-!”

“I’m coming with you guys.” Hiro said. What Ray had said about Tadashi didn’t sound like the one he knew. Something must have happened to him… He couldn’t bear to think his twelve-year-old had gone insane. Or any twelve-year-old, for that matter.

“What?!” Gilda screeched. “But Hiro, you’re-!”

“Idiots.” Ray cursed. “You’re both idiots.”

“Yep!” Emma smiled. “Now, come on before we’re too late!” Emma and Ray started toward the Capital, but stopped when Hiro coughed.

“Hey, guys?” Hiro gestured to himself. “I may need some help.”

Emma’s hair bobbed up and down as she went to help him. Ray only rolled his eyes.

——————

They had managed to get through the demons with ease. In fact, there was only a few in their way. _Guess Norman’s been here…_

“Hiro!” Arin's voice rang out before tackling him to the ground. When Ari took note that Hiro had winced, she helped him up, and said, “You made it!”

“Who are you?” Ray said, immediately going for his gun. But when Emma shook her head, he sighed and took his hand away from the weapon. Before anything else could be said, the four heard loud gunshots from up ahead.

“We gotta hurry!” Arin pressed. “Your idiot friends need to be stopped before they kill anymore of them!”

“… Hiro?” Emma asked, her gaze fixated on him. Hiro nodded, understanding what she had asked. “Come on, Ray!” she added, hurrying after the two who were already racing against time to stop their friends. A reluctant Ray followed his orange-haired friend, not too sure about the new demon.

When they had come to the end of the hallway, and into what was presumed the throne room, Hiro’s bones chilled.

Bodies of demons, practically encased in blood, with Norman and Tadashi standing in the center, holding the murder weapons.

But what got Hiro was Tadashi’s face. He couldn’t believe his friend had taken a dark turn. He _didn’t_ believe it…

Blood coated the boy like darkness to a broken child.

His smirk was like a madman’s.

And his eyes? Well…

Tadashi’s eyes told Hiro everything.

This boy was not his friend. Not anymore.

This boy wanted death and destruction. And, by the looks of it, no one would stand in his way. Not even Norman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Poor Hiro :( He just lost the closest thing to a brother...


	14. Long Live the Queen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, uh, next day update, I guess...? Wasn't really planning on it, but.... Anywho, this chapter, guys... 
> 
> 1) Do not do anything drastic to me about Tadashi, 
> 
> 2) Why does Tadashi kinda act like that one businessman villian/cliche-like villain from anime? Cause, guys, I honestly don't know lol It somehow decided to work its way through my writing XD
> 
> 3) We just all need Hiro to wake up from this nightmare. I mean, tortured, thinking he's worthless, becoming suicidal, losing his closest thing to a brother, getting hurt repeatedly.... Something's out to get him, and it's definitely because of the angst...totally not because I like characters being tortured....
> 
> halp meh lol

No.

This… This was wrong.

“Hiro!” Tadashi shouted out of joy, ready to embrace Hiro into a hug. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed into cat-like slits, and his footfalls halted to a stop. He stood there, ten feet from his older brother, noticing Hiro’s messy black hair veiled the terror and denial in his eyes. Then he took note of the playful demon next to him. Her long, golden locks slithered down her shoulders, stopping at her midriff. The thin, colorful clothing she wore, now tattered to absolute shred, was dotted with freckles of blood.

Tadashi aimed the gun at the demon’s head, anticipating to kill. But then his idiot brother decided to intervene by shielding her. _Coward._ He thought, the word tasting bitter in his already-corrupt mind. He couldn’t hear the boy’s pleas. He couldn’t feel any empathy for him anymore. He was in the way, so he had to do what he had to do.

Tadashi accelerated with speed as he raced toward the human-protected demon. Bones of fallen demons that he had slain crunched under his feet, adding an eerie feeling to the whole atmosphere. His teeth gritted in vexation when Ray punched him in the face, sending him flying across the room and onto the concrete flooring. He could taste the metallic copper as it seeped from his bottom lip at a snail’s pace.

Tadashi’s teeth gritted once again as he made his way off the floor. His hands balled into fists, eyes penetrating each and every enemy standing in his way. If their blood was to be on his hands, then so be it.

“Tadashi, please!” Hiro begged, tears streaming down his face. The brother he once knew said nothing. He stood there, void of any remorse for his actions. “This isn’t you! This can’t be you!” he cried out. A maniacal, psychotic laugh escaped the younger boy’s voice box. His pupils dilated to that of a small, black dot. His hands rose to his head, covering his eyes. Tadashi threw back his head as he continued to laugh. It was insane how much he changed; Hiro couldn’t believe it. No one could. It was like someone tortured him to the point of insanity. Was this… what would have become of him, if he didn’t escape?

“…D-Dashi…?” Hiro squeaked out, his voice barely a whisper. Tadashi’s right eye fixated itself onto the person who spoke, before his whole body turned in his direction. A smirk danced on his lips as he revealed his crazed look that chilled Hiro’s bones.

“So, you decided to audition for a part, huh?” Tadashi said, an unnerving vibe emitting off every word. “Well, as the casting director, I have to say… I give it a pass!” He unholstered his gun that had been restrained to his back before charging at Hiro.

Hiro felt time slow when everything happened all at once.

Tadashi was knocked out from under his feet, landing to the floor with a loud smack. The gun was snatched out of his hands by Emma. He struggled to stand, given that Ray and Norman were pinning him down. Vincent, who was with them, produced rope from his bag, tightly knotting the psychotic boy’s hands together before knocking him out with a blow to the head.

All was quiet once again. Not a sound peeped out, nor did wood creak under pressure. Everything was too calm and serene that it became unsettling to them. It felt… off. Like something was amiss.

Hiro’s knees buckled, and he fell to the floor, sobbing. Arin crouched down next to him, cradling him like a mother to a child. She told him everything would be fine, that that idiot friend of his would snap out of it. But Hiro hardly believed it. _‘A true friend would rather die than betray.’_ That quote had stuck with Hiro ever since leaving Grace Field House. He believed it to be true, as he never thought his friends would betray him.

But as he sobbed into Arin’s arms, he knew that was a lie.

_“Dashi,” a nine-year-old Hiro inquired to Tadashi, “what does the word betray mean?”_

_“Where’d you here that, knucklehead?” Tadashi ruffled the boy’s hair. Hiro giggled, swatting away his hands. Tadashi chuckled softly, before turning to face the sunset they could see through the window. “Betray means… Well, it means different things to each individual. Some say it’s when someone you know turns against you.”_

_“Will you ever turn against me?” Hiro smiled an adorable grin, gazing through the window too. Tadashi straightened up, and faced him._

_“Where’d you get that idea, Hiro?” Hiro shrugged. Tadashi smiled, turning back to face the sunset. “To me, betrayal is like a friend becoming someone totally different.” Hiro cocked his head to the side, indicating his confusion. “Take Emma, for instance. If she was all mopey and dull, what would you feel from her?”_

_“I dunno…” Hiro mumbled, hands wringing his small, white vest. Tadashi nudged Hiro in the arm, telling the boy it was okay to not have answers right away. “I guess… I would feel like I didn’t know her anymore. I would feel like it was my fault for causing it…”_

This was what Hiro felt towards Tadashi – unrecognizable, and guilty that he had changed his friend indirectly. He knew it would never be his fault, and for that, he berated himself. Of course it was his fault! He had been shipped off with Norman! They had thought the two were dead, until recently.

Arin soon parted with the boy, only to find him sound asleep. He looked so peaceful and quiet, almost as if nothing was wrong. But Arin knew he, and every other child that survived, had to struggle to continuing living. She sighed, watching his frame move up and down at a slow pace. Humans were so delicate.

——————

Hiro’s eyes opened at a gradual pace as blinding light flooded his vision. His throat felt hoarse, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. He tried to stand, but was only met with the floor once more. Arin, noticing the boy’s struggles, hurried over to him, giving him advice to just lay against the wall. He protested once, twice, thrice. On the fourth time, he gave in, having dreariness settling over him like a dark raincloud.

He tried to ask Arin what had happened; her only reply was to stay where he was. He nodded absentmindedly, not wanting to be persistent at the moment. Like a jolt of electricity, pain erupted from his back. This would mean one thing – his wound. It had gotten worse.

“A…Arin.” Hiro’s words fumbled when each passed through his lips. Why was it so hard to talk? And breathe, too? “…hurts…back…” He couldn’t tell you what happened next, as he himself wasn’t awake during it all.

Hiro remembered seeing Emma and Ray embrace Norman in a hug. They looked so overjoyed, happy. But then darkness consumed him once again, leaving him in a confused state when he woke up again. The next time he did awake up, though, he didn’t become unconscious again.

He endured the pain, the excruciating agony that had been coming from his back. He couldn’t really focus on it. Only on the demon that had, somehow, literally risen from her grave. Her tall, thin frame overshadowed the cattle children; sharp, narrow fingers that protruded from lanky arms pointed at Hiro and Arin. To protect the two, Emma, Ray, and the others (Cisco, Barbara, and Vincent) unsheathed their guns, making aim at the horrid creature.

“How nice of you to join us 15194, Arin,” the faceless – wait, what?! – demon said in a silky, calm voice. “I was beginning to think my prized meal wouldn’t show up. Although, it does seem you have been defected by a feral demon.”

“How is it that you’re alive?!” Arin roared, picking up a blood-smeared katana that lay a few feet away from her. Hiro, albeit groggy, thought, _What does she mean?_ Did Arin know her? It seemed to be so, as Arin’s next statement was, “You don’t have two cores!”

 _Two cores…? Oh, yeah._ Now he remembered. While having had a chat with Arin one day, it was revealed that Arin had two cores. The cores acted as hearts for the demons, and were located in their middle eye, hence wearing the masks and such. If someone was to shoot the middle eye, the demon would cease to exist, ultimately dying. Arin had said she was the only one in the whole demon world to have two cores. But, as of right now, it seemed that she had been misled.

“Are you so sure about that?” The horroresque demon declared, hands under her chin, making herself look like she was thinking. She then smirked – how can she do that! She doesn’t have a face! - and said rather dryly, “You thought you were the only one with two cores, didn’t you, Arin?” Arin’s mouth turned into a grimace of hatred, sharp teeth baring and all. “Aw, did you think you were anything special like your older brother?” The demon mocked, trying to rile Arin up. “Did you think I’d die just like that, and you would become queen?”

“Queen…?” Hiro mused aloud to himself. He turned his gaze to Arin, who ignored his mutter. Her objective was in clear sight, and she vowed she wouldn’t get distracted by Hiro’s confusion. The demon – who, to Hiro, was probably the Queen – chuckled in a sinister manner, covering her mouth with her long fingers as she did so.

“You won’t be staying alive much longer.” Anger seethed from every word Arin spat out at the Queen. Her grey hand’s knuckles began to turn pale-white, she was gripping so tightly on the katana. “I’ll destroy you once and for all!”

“If you wanted a challenge,” the Queen suddenly said, baring her fingernails like knives. She hissed, before jumping in the air, landing mere inches from a determined Arin and a confused, yet horrified, Hiro.

“Then why didn’t you just ask… _sister_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The good, old cliffhangers.... You gotta love 'em lol


	15. Massacre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BLOOD AND GORE WARNING!!!!!
> 
> Anywho, you may hate me after this, and I don't blame you... I'd hate myself too lol

Hiro could only watch as the Queen lunged out with her bare hands, fingers narrowly missing Hiro’s face due to Arin pushing him out of the way. He skidded onto the floor, back flooding with more unwanted pain. He could feel the red seeping out of him, the cloth bandage beginning to become soaked in blood. Tears failed to be contained as he screamed, curling up in a ball, head buried under his arms. He wanted it to all stop. But, at the moment, he would not, nor could, get his wish, for they had to deal with the Queen, who was revealed to be Arin’s older sister.

Really, when he first heard the word ‘sister’ escape the Queen’s lips, Hiro thought he had misheard her. He knew it was to be true, however, when he saw Arin flinch in the most unnoticeable way possible. He didn’t want to believe it. His own friend, next in line to the throne? The more he thought about, the more he figured it could work well in their favor – Arin becomes Queen, and declares that every demon should take a tiny sip of the Cursed One’s blood. But then he thought about their fight, and what she had said about “humans being meant to only be eaten.” Did Arin still feel that way towards them? If so, would she betray him if she were to gain such high status?

Hiro’s thought on the matter subsided to the back of his mind as he watched Arin roll out of harm’s way, attacking with the katana and making crude remarks at the Queen’s fighting techniques. But then he saw the Queen pick up a long, pointed sword, holding it behind her back like a assassin would do before killing their victim. He tried crawling toward Arin, holding back a yell of pain as he tried to warn her of the dangers she was in. But it was no use – the Queen has already gotten to her.

It was like a massacre.

A bloody massacre.

No one moved a muscle as they watch Arin be brutally murdered by her own sister. Blood poured out of her body, rushing down onto the cold floor like a waterfall. Her hands went limp at her sides, the katana splashing in the pool of blood with a muffled thump. The Queen continued to slaughter Arin. Hiro wailed as Arin gave a halfhearted smile at him. He knew what she was silently telling him, but he denied the fact. He already lost Tadashi, and almost lost himself. He couldn’t sit there and watch Arin die.

Just then, a set of doors banged on their hinges, footfalls loudly ringing around the room. The larger demon raced against time as he forcefully slammed into the Queen, sending her crashing into a wall. She crumpled to the floor, revealing that the wall had left a huge dent in her wake. But Hiro did not focus on the stirring Queen as he watched Sonju cradle the badly cut, dying demon in his arms. Hiro made way over to them, albeit quite painfully. He took hold of Arin’s hand, not minding the blood he sat in. After all, he himself was bleeding. To death or not, though, he didn’t know. And if he was, he didn’t have a care in the world. His friend was dying, and he wanted to be by her side till the end.

“…Son…ju…?” Arin said, her voice strained and hoarse, mostly because of the pain. “Hadn’t seen you…” She winced as a bolt of pain inflicted her body. “Hadn’t seen you since… since you… left…”

“You’ll get out of this,” Sonju said, determination filling his every fiber. But that determination turned to sobs when the full force of what was happening hit him. Arin was _dying_. He couldn’t do anything, just like Hiro. But then Sonju remembered her having a second core. “You’ll live, Arin,” he stated, a slight sniffle betraying him by making itself present in the conversation. “You have a second core. You’ll live.”

“Sonju…” Arin said, cupping his head into her bloodied and bruised arm, “Sonju… I… I never got to tell you, but I… I wanted to come with you and Mujika.” She tried to give him a half-hearted smile, but what actually was produced on her face was more or less a grimace. “But… she said you were a traitor, and had kidnapped someone’s daughter… I was so naïve, foolish, I-I didn’t realize it was the Cursed Blood… the one who’d save this horrid world from our evil deeds…” She paused, coughing up a small amount of blood. “Kill our wretched sister for me, will you, brother?”

Before Sonju could do or say anything, Arin’s head lolled to the side, and her hands slumped into the pool of blood she laid in. No one could say a word. She couldn’t – no, she – why? Why was she not waking up? She had a second core, so why…?! Why did she…?!

Hiro’s eyes squeezed shut, no tears being shed from them. He didn’t care if it was revealed that Sonju was Arin’s brother. He was too focused on Arin’s… No! There had to be an explanation! A reason why she wasn’t waking up! She could have fallen into a coma, or… or the core could be reviving her, right? Yeah… yeah, that was it… Yeah… definitely it…

“Look at her.” A voice as dark as the endless abyss said, sarcasticness ebbing at her words. Everyone watched as the Queen – unscathed, except for a few bruises – rose from her slumbering spot, sauntering more and more over to the dead demon, Sonju, and Hiro. She stopped a few feet away from them, towering over them like a cold-stoned statue. “So pathetic and naïve. Arin had thought you had actually betrayed us, little brother. She had been so mad, so angry. Didn’t know what to do with it all…”

"No…” Hiro mumbled, trying to refrain from crying; he had enough cries to last him a lifetime. His hands covered his face as he sat there, subconsciously knowing his demon friend was surely dead. He didn’t hear any of the Queen’s monologue as he shook his head. He couldn’t see Tadashi very slowly stirring into the land of waking. He couldn’t even feel any pain as his fingers dug into his skulls, costing his black hair with his friend’s own blood. “She’s not dead… She had two cores…” He repeated this over and over, getting louder and louder with each one until he was practically screaming it.

This was what must have transpired within Tadashi all that time. Denying that Hiro was dead. Screaming until it hurt ever bone in his body. Thrashing about, muttering nonsensical things. Crying until he was sound asleep. Hallucinating and hearing what wasn’t there. It sounded like madness – madness only someone with enough trauma could breed. The madness had probably rooted itself in his mind, never to let go of him. It had probably made him paranoid, and untrustworthy to new people they had met.

Hiro thrashed and screamed as he was pulled back from Arin, trying to claw his way out of his friends’ arms. But they prevailed, and he did not, as Mujika cradled him like a mother to a child. He screamed that it all was a dream, that he would wake up any second and see Arin alive and well, and as sassy as ever. No one said a word about his muttering nonsense.

“You did this…” Sonju muttered, arms shaking in anger as he stood. He clutched the spear that had been on his back moments before, ready to slay the beast that stood before him. “You told her she had two cores… You knew she’d believe you… You sick, lying, manipulative monster!” Sonju charged at the Queen, weapon held high. He tried to cut her into pieces, but each time he tried, she would block him with Arin’s murder weapon.

“You can not kill me!” The Queen gloated as she tried to stab Sonju. The attack was met with a block of his spear. The two danced with the same volleys of attacks – attack the enemy, block the enemy’s attack. This soon took a drastic turn when all of a sudden Tadashi sprang from where he had been laying and knocked the Queen into the floor. The Queen had no time to react as Tadashi raised a knife in the air and brought it down upon her flesh. Blood squirted out at each fatal stab, though the boy didn’t mind; all he thought about was her dying.

The final blow went full force to her heart, Tadashi raking the knife down her body like a person painting a wall with a fresh coat of paint. He ignored the red, metallic-copper tasting liquid that spluttered into his crazed face. He kept on stabbing her. Until Sonju finally grasped Tadashi’s arms as the latter was about to stab the ultimately dead Queen, that is…

“She’s dead.” Sonju said sternly, not letting his grip on the boy go. Tadashi thrashed, trying to break, telling the demon he was next. Sonju did not believe the boy’s threat one bit. He knew Tadashi wouldn’t actually try to kill him; this was mainly due to the heavy flow of tears streaming down his eyes and his body trembling violently.

Hiro, however, didn’t know what was going on, as he – after the initial shock and denial – didn’t want to look at the sight before him. Because if he did, he would see Arin’s lifeless, bloodied body. Because if he did, he would have to face the truth.


	16. Broken Souls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. Been busy with writing my movie's script and Chapter 1 for a Tangled fanfic (and yes, it has precious boi Varian in it). Also school's been tiring my brain so much to the point of it being dead lol
> 
> I realized Cislo, Barbara, Zazie, and Vincent weren't with them at the camp. I decided that the two groups would split up and head back instead. (Did they do this in the manga? I don't remember if they did...)
> 
> Anyways, you'll see them in the next chapter XD
> 
> Also, did Mujika tell them in the manga, before they left, about the children possibly being kidnapped by Peter? I feel like she did... 
> 
> Anyways, in this fanfic, they'll just be going back to Paradise Hideout to gather the kids up so that they can go to the human world (but they can't do that yet, because... Peter Ratri is the antagonist! Lol)

He could hear the insane cries of Tadashi as Sonju dragged him away from the Queen’s body and over to a small clearing. He could hear Tadashi’s threats as he lay there in Mujika’s arms, head buried in the palms of his blood-ridden hands. He felt Emma’s – and her friends’ - prescience loom over him, but did not dare to look up or move from his spot. If he did, he would have to face the horrid truth he currently denied.

“Hiro…” Emma started. She did not continue, though, as she could not think of what to say to comfort the boy. She watched as he cried until there were no tears left to shed; soon, Hiro was fast asleep, chest rising and lowering every few seconds.

It was a peaceful sight for some time until a clamoring, tear-filled scream ricocheted off the walls and into their ears. The three friends and Mujika watched as Tadashi writhed in anger, spouting threats at would never come true. Tears fell from the boy and onto the floor; this sight alone made Emma’s heart break. Her friend – her hard-working, loving friend – had gone insane.

_“Ray, what are you talking about?” Emma asked, gaze glued to the emo. She couldn’t understand what he had just said – Tadashi, threatening the demons who saved the cattle childrens’ lives? Why would he do such a thing?_

_“You heard what I said, Emma.” Ray replied, staring at the floor, holding a wooden bowl and spoon in his hand. He stood up, placing the silverware and dish on the thick log he had been sitting on. He sighed. “Ever since Hiro and Norman were shipped, Tadashi’s been different.”_

_Emma tried to say something in her friend’s defense. But what could she say? They all had been grieving, though Tadashi most of all. Even when Ray had told him of them continuing the escape, he didn’t join in on it. Not until the last moment, at least. It drew up immediate red flags for Ray when he suddenly joined, but Emma had ignored them._

_Now, however, she may have wished she hadn’t._

_“He’s…” Emma started, fingers wringing the hem of her skirt. The soft, thin feeling of it soothed her to the touch; she sighed, and collected her scattered thoughts. “He’s just hurt, and trying to navigate his life without…”_

_“What about the threats, huh?” Ray countered her defense, eyes seething with a small percentage of anger. The rest looked to be made up of hurt. “He threatened that if those demons got anywhere near us, he’d kill them.”_

_“But-!”_

_“Emma, he_ wants _to kill them!” Ray’s burst of anger made Emma jump slightly. “I saw it in his eyes! He wants nothing more than to kill each and every demon on this nightmare of a world!”_

But what stood before Emma now told her Ray was right, to some degree. This boy _did_ want revenge on what had happened to Hiro and Norman. But that was the only truth that agreed with Ray. The other parts, sitting under mounds of anger, told her that the boy was simply… broken. The boy had, on countless occasions, thought maybe what he had been doing was wrong. But then he chastised himself for it, and reminded himself that he could never turn around and head back towards the light. Worst of all, Tadashi looked as if he felt like he was being torn from the inside-out, living in such a nightmarish world that he couldn’t see what good it brought him.

“Let me go!” Tadashi’s words dripped with malice as Sonju restrained him with a rope. The demon carefully tied his hand’s behind his back, as not to hurt the boy, but to restrain him enough to where he wouldn’t escape. Not that he would do anything if he did. “I’ll kill you, demon! I’ll kill all of you so that you’d wished you would have never been bo-!”

And then, as if something had struck him, Tadashi began to break down. Tears raced down his cheeks like small, trickling rivers in a forest. He wrapped his arms around the orange-haired girl that had engulfed him into a hug. He felt eyes penetrate the scene before them, but he ignored it all. He had done horrible things – horrible things that he wished he hadn’t done.

Loneliness.

Loneliness and a voice.

That was what drove him to insanity, and out of the light.

But no more.

“I’m sorry!” Tadashi wailed, repeating it over and over, as he gripped Emma’s arms a little too hard, though Emma didn’t mind. He was broken, and she wanted to comfort him in any way possible. He continued to cry, continued to tell her sorry for what he had done. Emma kept telling him five simple words – five simple words Hiro needed to hear, and five simple words that meant the truth. Those five simple words were, “Everything will be okay.” Small, yet powerful. Meaningless to some, but meaningful to so many others.

Emma remembered that she had told everyone the same exact thing when they were found out and ambushed during the night at one of William Minerva’s hideouts. She had told them everything would be fine, that everyone would make it out safely.

Those had been lies.

Yugo and Lucas had died.

But those words, right here, right now, were not lies – they were truth. Everything _would_ be okay, everything _would_ turn out fine. Tadashi and Hiro couldn’t see that because of what they had been through. Both boys probably felt like they had lost everything. Emma was probably right, but… They didn’t lose everything. Sure, there were a few deaths – deaths that no one could prevent. But those people who died could be honored and remembered for helping the children escape. Helping them fulfill their wish for a better life. Helping them make beautiful, unforgettable memories they could think back on for years to come.

“How…?” Tadashi’s voice scratched with a hoarse, almost undetectable whisper. “How can you say… that everything will be fine…?” He stared into Emma’s oval, lively green eyes, trying to find some sort of deception in them. But all he found was a girl, who had seen terrible things. And yet she kept going, kept being that optimistic girl that strived for freedom. How did she do it, Tadashi could not answer; for he himself could never be like the thirteen-year-old in front of him.

“Because…” Emma said, letting go of him and standing up in between Norman and Ray, who had walked over to them. She held out her hand, and smiled wholesomely. “Because even though the world is against you, you can always count on your friends!”

“Friends…” Tadashi’s sight trailed over to the boy that lay in Mujika’s arms. He was sound asleep, chest rising up and down ever so softly. Tadashi produced a weak smile, and closed his eyes for a second. How could he have done that to Hiro? How could he have almost hurt his own brother? He had no clue. So, when he opened his eyes again, he took hold of Emma’s hand, and embraced the freedom that lay before him.

 _Free_.

Broken… but free.

——————

Hiro’s eyelids fluttered open to meet the colorless and mundane view he had. He tried sitting up on whatever grey-skinned thing he laid on, but the only thing he actually managed to do was whimper in pain. He squeezed his eyes shut, and balled his hands, that hung over the object he lay on like a rug, into fists. He waited, and waited, and waited, but… the pain did not come. At least, not the amount Hiro had expected it to be.

“Guys, he’s awake!” A voice shouted from afar – was it really that far off? – before the person who made the voice came into view. A black haired boy popped up into Hiro’s vision, before helping him off the object he had been laying on. As Ray helped him stand up, Hiro looked back to the object to find out it was Mujika and Sonju’s horse. A rather pathetic “oh” escaped Hiro’s lips, though Ray seemed to not have heard it.

As the two slowly made their way over to the camp, Hiro could make out Emma and Norman walking towards them, happy that Hiro had finally woken up. Wait, but why were they happy he woke up? Was he out… for a very long time? Like those comas he heard of?

“Hiro!” Emma cheered, going in for a hug. But when Hiro denied the affection that people usually gave their loved ones and friends, Emma’s hands went to her side instead. He didn’t need or want hugs just yet, for he had just woken up, and still felt like he could break out into excruciating pain he definitely did _not_ want again.

“What happened?” Hiro asked, taking in his woodsy surroundings. The camp, that he had seen earlier, lay in between two large, redwood-like trees. The makeshift abode consisted of a burnt out fire and a few beds – why was there four? Was one for him? – that were made of a blanket and nothing more. From the corner of his eye, Hiro saw a body behind a tree, positioned to that of someone sleeping. Who was that person, exactly? Was it…? Hiro shook his head, discarding the thought. _He_ wouldn’t have come with them, wherever they were going. He would’ve gone back to Paradise Hideout, if anything… wouldn’t he?

“You passed out while…” Emma trailed off, not wanting to make Hiro break down into another fit of emotion. It worked, as Hiro didn’t pick up what Emma had implied. He limped – with the help of Ray – over to the fire, which emitted a little amount of heat, and sat down in front of it. A small bolt of pain shot through his back, and Hiro winced slightly.

Noticing the reaction from him, Norman dug through a small pouch made of white linen, searching for something. Once he found the thing he was looking for, he unlidded the bottle that contained thin rectangles that resembled a pill. He poured one out in his hand, and, after capping the bottle and grabbing a bottle of water, held it out for Hiro. The boy took the pill, and guzzled it down with water. Soon, the pain ceased the exist.

“Guys, what’s with-?” A voice from behind a tree said. Hiro almost choked on air – literal air – when he heard the familiar sound. He seemed to have been right on _him_ coming with them. He just didn’t want to believe it. Of course, when your insane friend tries to kill you, you’d _not_ want to be around them. But it was more than that to Hiro; _he_ had betrayed him, and he felt like he could never forgive _him_ for that. Yes, _he_ had killed feral demons, but _he_ had tried to kill Ar-.

Hiro’s chest tightened, his breathing shallow. He could feel his heart beat a million miles a minute. He felt the tears come, but he didn’t know why he produced them. Why did he feel like he was going to die? He knew he wasn’t in harm’s way, but it sure felt like it as he strained to here the voices that called out to him. But oddly enough, all he could muster to hear was… silence.

Utter silence.

And it _scared_ him to death.

But why?

Hiro felt _him_ wrap his arms around him, calming him. Slowly but surely, his heart rate began beating back to normal, and the tightness on his chest disappeared. He looked up to find _him_. Smiling. A bittersweet smile, but a smile nonetheless. He tried to say something to _him_ , but all he could make was a weird squeaky noise.

“Hey, knucklehead,” Tadashi ruffled the boy’s messy hair. “Looks like you woke up before I did.”

“D…Dashi…?” Hiro squeaked out, unaware of the three children watching the scene unfold. He heard two sets of footsteps – which were Don and Gilda – walking over into the camp, but he ignored it. Right now, he needed rest and comfort of his younger, but mature, brother. That is, if this was really happening.

“You’re not dreaming, Hiro,” Tadashi said, hugging said person. “I’m really here.”

Hiro pulled away from the hug. If he was really here, why was he not trying to kill him? Why was acting like he did before, instead of being insane and out of control?

“You’re not real.” He said, backing away. He bumped into a tree, and squealed from the sudden collision. “This – This isn’t real. You can’t – You want to ki-.”

Tadashi walked over and put a hand on Hiro’s shoulder to comfort him. “I’m real, Hiro,” he consoled to the confused boy. “I’m not going to hurt you. Or them.” Tadashi glanced at the five children that watched them, before turning back to find Hiro in tears.

“W…Why did you…” Hiro tried to say. “Why did you want to…to…”

“Because I was an idiot,” Tadashi said. “I was an idiot, and my anger clouded my reasoning.”

A few minutes passed before Hiro said anything.“Y…You’re not an idiot, Dashi.” He tried his best to put on a smile to lighten up the mood. It worked, as Tadashi smiled back, chuckling to himself.

“You know what I mean, bonehead,” Tadashi said, ruffling the boy’s hair again. Hiro could only laugh as Tadashi tackled him to the floor like they did so many times before at Grace Field House. He was happy that his brother – the one who wanted to kill him and his friends – was back to normal. Or as normal as a broken boy could be, that is.

——————

It had been a few hours before they had to stop and rest, mainly due to Hiro’s condition. Although the medicine seemed to have worked, the twelve-year-old would still get an agonizing jolt of pain before crumpling to the ground. It looked like his body had started to become accustomed to the medicine – he had been taking it every few hours – and decided to not work as it did before. It was either that reason, or it worked best when said person taking it was asleep.

Hiro and Tadashi currently sat alone, as their friends went looking out for some food. It had quite peaceful for some time, but Hiro thought it gave off an eerie vibe instead of a calming one. Suddenly, a voice echoed throughout the forest. It sounded different from any of their friends’ voices, so Tadashi told him to stay put while he went to check it out.

Like he could even stand without any help. Where would he even go?

A minutes passed. Then five minutes passed. Then another five. Where was Tadashi? Was that voice actually one of their friends’, and he was just helping out? But wouldn’t they tell him to stay with Hiro? Determined to figure out what happened – if anything even had happened – Hiro slowly rose to his feet. He took one step before his legs gave way to the pain that flowed throughout his body.

“Ow.” He voiced pathetically. He tried standing up again, but the same result took effect. Shouldn’t he be getting better? He shook his head. The beatings he had taken back at the Capital, plus the giant gash on his back, equaled a long time to heal. Hiro sighed. Just _how long_ would it take? A few weeks? A month? A… year?

While thinking pessimistic thoughts about his injuries, Hiro hadn’t noticed a blond-haired young man standing a few feet from him, hidden behind a tree. His eyes stared at him, studying the premium good like an animal to their prey. He took notice of the wounds the boy had gotten, and realized it wouldn’t run off like the other tried to do.

 _Crack!_ Hiro swiveled his head in the direction of where the man had been standing. “Hello?” He called out, hoping it was one of his friends. “Tadashi? Emma? …Ray?” But no audible answer came. This time, when Hiro stood, he leaned against a tree for support. What had made that noise? Was it… a demon?

But then, just as Hiro seemed to have been able to walk, albeit slowly, over to the tree, he collapsed to the ground when something banged against his head. He tried to suppress the lingering darkness that started to consume him.

But his efforts failed. Soon, he was cast into the void that had been bestowed upon him.


	17. The Final Retaliation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: A main character has a panic attack, and also gets a cut on his neck
> 
> A/N: Hmm... Let's see, angst here, angst there, ANGST EVERYWHERE!!! My little smol bean finally has happy thoughts. Yay! He also gets sassy and grumpy at one point in this chapter lol It's okay, Hiro; I've felt the pain of being sick too XD

Hiro could the agonizing scream as he regained consciousness. He could feel the cold, stony floor as he sat in an all too-familiar room. He looked around, seeing all the other children tied up with rope like he was. Tadashi sat next to him, a firm, angry gaze stuck on the man before them. What had happened?

And then Hiro remembered what transpired before he fell unconscious. He had been going to see what had made the crunching sound when he had been struck by something – no, some _one_. That someone, Hiro guessed, was the man standing before the children. But exactly who was he? Hiro knew he had seen him from somewhere before, but where? And then it hit him like a brick – it was the same man from when Norman and he were being shipped off. What was him name, something Ratri?

Hiro’s thought were interrupted when Nat screamed out in pure agony. He heard a sickening crunch that had told him one of Nat’s finger had been broken. He wanted this to be a dream – _everything_ to be a dream – but it wasn’t. It had been all real, from escaping, to coming back to the place he had called home for the first eleven years of his life. What was this place, you ask? Why, it was Grace Field House.

“Nat!” One of the children cried out, worried for her friend. But Nat smiled, pain working its way in the seemingly happiness that radiated from it. He looked at the girl, and the other worried children, and reassured them with, “I’m fine, guys! Just a little pain, that’s all!”

Hiro knew Nat lied. Mostly because he had gone through pain himself, but also because you could definitely tell he was _not_ fine. The other children knew he was lying too, but they suppressed the urge to say anything. They feared what the man would do to them if they did.

“That looks really painful,” the man – Ratri – said, a sickening grin plastered on his face. His foot came down on Nat’s hand that had the broken finger, and another gut-wrenching crack rang throughout the room. Hiro squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see his friend in pain.

Pain.

Where was the pain Hiro grew accustomed too?

“No more lies.” Ratri continued, still holding that twisted, loving smile on his face. He crouched down to Nat’s level, and said in a demanding voice, “So, let me ask again. Did you forge a new Promise?”

Promise? What was the man talking about? Hiro had never heard of them making any kind of Promise, but then again, he wasn’t in the loop with what Emma and Ray had went to do when they had left. But not knowing what the man talked about had an advantage, Hiro realized – he couldn’t tell him about any of it, even if he wanted to.

“You we’re trying to make a new Promise, right?” The man said. Suddenly, Hiro felt the rope around him fall to the floor. A firm hand gripped his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see all the children staring at him, scared for what was going to happen next. Something pressed against his neck, something cold and pointy. Hiro knew right then and there why they were scared.

Ah, there it was; the pain that came from his back. But he couldn’t double over and scream. He _wasn’t allowed to_. For, you see, the thing that pressed every so gently next to his neck that bore those haunting numbers was a knife that threatened to kill him.

“Hiro!” Tadashi yelled out in fear of his friend’s life. “If you hurt one hair on his head, I’ll slice you into pieces!” He threatened to the sadistic man. For a second, Hiro thought Tadashi had gone insane again. But then he saw the deception of that threat in the mature twelve-year-old’s eyes. Tadashi couldn’t do what he had fired at the man, no matter how dire.

“He won’t be getting injured,” Ratri replied, tugging the boy a few inches closer to him. His head rested next to Hiro’s, his eyes staring at Tadashi. “But if none of you tell me about the new Promise, I’ll gladly kill him.” His cheery smile returned as he said the last few words, before gazing over the children. Seemingly having made a decision, he pointed straight at Anna, and told her, “You. You give me the answer.”

“Me?” was the girl’s faint whisper. To make his point clear, the man dug the knife lightly into Hiro’s neck. He saw a trickle of blood trail down and drip onto the floor. “You better not give the wrong answer this time,” he added, chuckling wholly.

“I’m sorry!” Anna yelled out, sobbing. It had been only a few seconds until Anna snapped under the pressure, giving him everything he wanted to know. Hiro couldn’t blame her. He himself would probably give up any sort of information just for his friends to be safe and sound. That included if he was to get hurt instead of them.

The damp, bloodied cloth that covered his neck was starting to irritate the boy’s skin. But he held it, persistent with the predicament they unfortunately tumbled into. Tadashi sat next to Hiro, looking worried for his friend. He had been hurt bad enough, so why did he continue to get injured?

The doors to the spacious, empty room they sat in opened, creaking ever so softly. The woman, sporting a dark, turtleneck dress and long sleeves, began to walk down the metal stairs you would find in a warehouse. The children all looked at this woman, either in fear or in hope. This woman could save them. Or, this woman could have them shipped. This woman was-.

“Mom!” The children cried, most of them filled with hope. A few, however, said this with lingering fear, almost with disbelief. Those children were Hiro and Tadashi. None of the others had said it the way they had. Maybe they thought she was an ally, instead of an enemy. But the two boys knew better. She was no mother to them. Not after what she did to them, pretending to live happily.

“Welcome back, my adorable children!” She said, love and sympathy rooted in each word. But that feeling that pitted in Hiro’s stomach churned when she said those words. Lies. All of it – lies. A ruse. She wasn’t there to save them, like Hiro and Tadashi had predicted. She was there to ship them off – to let them become food.

But then Hiro remembered something. No, someone. A demon. That demon would abolish the farms, and the plantations. She would give out the Cursed Blood’s blood to each of them, so that they could retain their human form.

But then he realized something.

She had died.

He couldn’t get over the fact that Ar-.

Hiro felt his chest tighten. No! He can’t – he _can’t_ have it now! Not now! But he did. His breathing began to increase, and tears rolled down his cheeks. He couldn’t bare to witness the scene that took place before him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out her voice – that demon’s voice – but she kept persistent. He heard her laugh, like the two had just started conversing about something mildly funny.

But then his eyes shot open, and he had to face the truth. He heard muffled voices calling to him, pleading with him to calm down. But he didn’t listen. If he had just mustered enough strength to yell out to her more than he had done, then she wouldn’t be-.

“Hiro!” Tadashi yelled, trying to calm him down. The boy that he held a firm grip on tried to escape said grip. Tears streamed down the boy’s face, and splattered onto the concrete floor. “Hiro, listen to me.” The boy continued to thrash about. “Y-You’re going to be okay. Just, just try and calm down. Take a deep breath, Hiro. Come on, I know you can – there you go.”

In. Out.

In. Out.

Hiro’s body soon stopped shaking, and his began to go back to normal. Moist tears lessened until he had full control of his body again. He was fine. He was fine. “Dashi…” he murmured, trying to apologize for the sudden attack that befell him. But Tadashi silenced him.

“Don’t apologize, Hiro.” Tadashi stated, ruffling his hair up some. Hiro swatted the younger boy’s hand away, chuckling softly. He missed this – being a normal child. But he wasn’t normal, nor were any of his friends. They all had different skills no normal child could possess; but for Hiro? He didn’t know what his skill was. At least, he hadn’t found it. Not yet. Maybe his skill had something to do for his love of robots and technology, but he didn’t think he would ever find out as he saw who circled them, ready for them to be deported like cattle.

Demons. Burly, massive demons surrounded them. A glint of hunger coated their eyes as they waited for the signal. But just as the signal went off in their intercoms, two children – a girl with a cap that had many pins, and a boy with short, dark hair – jumped from behind one of the demons. The boy yelled out “Found you!” before using his teeth to set off whatever he was holding. Brightness blinded everyone’s eyes, making them shut their eyes rightly. When the light became bearable enough to see, and not so blinding, they saw the demons staggering before them, grappling their eyes.

“Come on!” the girl with the pins – Gillian, as Hiro recalled – urged the children, gesturing with her free hand that wasn’t holding her gun. Everyone stood quickly, and followed Gillian down the storage hallway. Hiro and Tadashi were last, as Tadashi quickly wrapped the blood-stained cloth Hiro used earlier tightly around the wound on the boy’s neck. Pain encompassed Hiro as they ran after the other children, and to get away from the demons. _Just my luck to be the one who gets hurt._ Hiro thought, the words tasting fresh but bitter.

As they rounded and ran into a room, a demon’s arm suddenly swept out, causing them all to dodge, and, unfortunately, tumble into one another and onto the ground. Hiro gritted his teeth in pain as he stumbled to the ground. He noticed a shower-like head was mounted in all four corners of the room. In a little room that overlooked them, Isabella watched them with a keen eye, smiling softly.

“Don’t worry,” she said, voice calm and collective, “this will all be over soon.”

_No – nonononononono! This can’t be it! This can’t-! THIS CA-!_

BANG! The doors that were previously closed by some demons figuratively flew off their hinges as three figures emerged, guns at the ready. The children cheered when they figured out who their liberators were.

“Emma!”

“Norman!”

“Ray!”

The trio of friends hesitated, seeing their “Mama” stare at them. But then that hesitation was over, and the escape to save their own lives begun instantly. He didn’t know how he could manage to keep up with them, but Hiro did. Maybe it was the flow of adrenaline, or maybe it was him not wanting to die. Maybe he feared of becoming depressed like he did when this all started. But whatever the case, he kept going, pushing himself to the limits; he didn’t even care about the pain that overflowed his body!

As soon as everyone entered a storage room that looked similar to the one Hiro had woken up in, two of the liberators locked the door with the giant wheel that you would find on a vault door. Why were they locking the door? Shouldn’t they be escaping at the moment?

“What are we doing?!” Tadashi yelled, anger almost making its way to his voice. He stood next to Hiro, who had been heavily breathing and trying to not feel all the pain that consumed his body. “We should be escaping, not locking ourselves in!”

“We aren’t going to escape, Tadashi!” was Emma’s determined reply. Everyone was baffled at this. Not going to escape? But then how…? “We’re going to take over Grace Field Farm!”

——————

They were finally free of the rope that had been binding their arms, thanks to the people who had helped them partially escape. Emma, Norman, Ray, and a few others told them to stay put as they headed off to ‘take over’ the place, as they put it.

Hiro sat against the cold wall, watching as children conversed about what would happen. Questions like “Were they going to be killed?”, “Would the demons find a way to break into the room?”, and “Will _we_ live?” were some, to name a few. Hiro, however, didn’t continue to focus on these thoughts; he was more or less preoccupied with the pain he, at the moment, was feeling.

Tadashi slid over to Hiro, settling down next to him. “Hey there, buddy.” But the boy said nothing as he clutched his arms, squeezing his eyes shut. “You okay, Hiro? ….Hiro?” The boy in question could see his vision dim as his eyes drooped. Why was he so tired all of a sudden? Was it… because of… the stress and pain…?

He heard Tadashi tell him to stay awake, but made no effort to do so. He just wanted to close his eyes… and rest. The last thing Hiro heard was Tadashi yelling out his name in surprise and worry.

——————

When he woke up again (how many times had he fallen asleep now?!), the trio of friends that consisted of a strategist, an emo, and a cheery orange-haired girl had returned, along with the others that helped them. But what struck Hiro was his own condition – he was lying on the cold floor, head resting against a backpack-turned-pillow, covered in a heavy blanket.

His head spun like crazy, or was that everything around him? Why did he feel so sluggish, and exhausted? He tried to sit up, but just as he did so, he was forced to lay down again when a hand that belonged to Tadashi instructed him to do so.

“Wha…?” Hiro said, dazed. What had happened when he was sleeping? Did they do it? Did they actually win? “What’s going…. on?”

“You have a fever.” Oh. That sounded about right. “From what Vincent told me, you got it because one of your wounds became infected.” Great. Just what he needed. More problems.

“Looks like you were wrong about idiots getting sick,” Emma said in a playful manner to Ray, who rolled his eyes and ignored her continuous teasing. Norman chuckled, shaking his head. Hiro smiled. _At least we did it. Even if_ I _wasn’t the one who did…_

“So, what do we do with short-stack?” Gillian said, sticking her thumb over at the boy, who was staring at the ceiling, bored with his predicament. Couldn’t he at least sit up? No. Why? Because of those stupid wounds he just _had_ to get.

Oh yeah. He definitely had a fever.

“Hmm….” Emma hummed, hand on chin in thought. “We could let Hiro stay here until we leave for the Human World.”

“But would it be safe?” Tadashi asked, now standing with arms crossed and brows raised. Emma answered him, telling him that Mujika had become Queen, and had decreed that all farms and plantations were to be abolished forever. “I’ll stay with him, then?” the twelve-year-old asked a few minutes after her explanation.

“I’ll stay too,” Gillian said, slinging her gun over her right shoulder. Why’d she want to stay? “Help Takachiho over here take care of the injured rascal."

“My name’s-,” Tadashi pointed out, before seeing Gillian smiling gleefully, totally aware that she had gotten his name wrong. “Hey, wait a minute!”

“And I’m not a rascal!” Hiro defended, sitting up. But he only got to sit up for a second when Tadashi pushed him back down. Hiro grumbled, folding his arms and turning on his side. He felt so useless at the moment, wanting nothing more than to go with the others to get Phil and the other children. But alas, young-but-mature Tadashi just _had_ to play the role of big brother.

“See you all soon!” Emma waved goodbye, and so did everyone else that was going with them. Hiro heard them leave, sound of their footsteps soon drifting off into nothingness. No noise was present after this, only peace and quiet.

Hiro thought about his predicament he was in, continuing off from where he stopped while in the forest. Would he ever _not_ get injured? Would he be free of all this pain? And then he thought of what would happen whilst going through into the Human World. Would he be healed miraculously of his injuries? Or would he wake up and be rushed to the nearest hospital? He shook his head, letting all those thoughts leave him. He should be happy – happy that they finally were free and going to live normal lives.

But it felt off… like they were going to lose something precious to them. Or was that just him? _Probably just me_. He thought, before suddenly yawning.

“What? Is the injured rascal tired?” Gillian teased, covering her mouth, giggling. Hiro rolled his eyes. Once he got better, he would have to get revenge on her for calling him that. He was not, in no way, a rascal. Yeah, he got into trouble…. Okay, yeah, he could see why she called him that.

“No!” But his body betrayed him by getting him to yawn again. “Okay, so maybe a little…”

“Don’t worry, knucklehead,” Tadashi reassured him, “You can sleep if you want to; Vincent said you’d be fine.”

“Re…ally?” Hiro yawned again, eyes starting to droop. It was a few minutes until he finally fell asleep, this time not having nightmares, but sweet dreams that reassured him that everything would be fine. This time, it felt set it stone, as if it was to be true.

….It was.


	18. Emma's Request

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for it being short. The last two chapters will probably be short as well, as most things have been wrapped up XD

When Hiro woke up, Emma and the others had returned with the ones whom they had left behind when they had escaped. Phil sat next to Hiro, who was sitting up and not being forced back down by Tadashi. He had told Hiro he thought Norman and he had died. All Hiro could do to respond to that was give a semi teary-eyed Phil a hug.

When the two retracted, Hiro’s eyes glanced over at Emma and a few others who were huddled in a corner. Mujika, who had come to bid them all farewell, was with them. Ray sat alone in another corner, head buried in his hands. All of them shared a posture of someone mourning over something. But what exactly? What had happened when they went to go get the other children?

“Hey, Hiro,” Tadashi said, walking over to him and sitting down. Vincent trailed behind Tadashi, a bottle of water in one hand and a medicine bottle in the other. He crouched down next to Hiro, and handed him the water, and then the pill.

“Here; it’ll help reduce the fever.” Vincent said before he walked off over to some of the other children. Hiro took the pill, using the water to help swallow it. He then set the bottle down, screwing the cap back on. He tried to tell Vincent, “Thanks”, but failed, as Vincent didn’t hear him.

“So, when we get to the human world…” Hiro started, trying to make conversation with Tadashi, who now had his right leg propped up, his right arm arm sitting atop his knee. He looked at Hiro expectantly, waiting for him to speak. “What do you think it’ll be like?” Hiro added.

“Honestly…” Tadashi sighed. “I haven’t even begun to think about it. But whatever it is, I’m sure we’ll fit in just fine. And if we don’t, well, we have each other.”

Hiro nodded, his thoughts obscuring what Tadashi had said. All Hiro knew of the human world was from books – books that hadn’t gone past the year of 2015. He wondered if the human world would be more technologically advanced, or if it would be the same from 2015 onward. And what about with him? Would he be sent to the hospital as soon as they got there?

“All right!” Escaped exclaimed, pulling 15194 out of his thoughts. She stood in the center with Norman and Ray, looking as cheery as when they lived peaceful, unsuspecting lives at Grace Field House. “Time to head to the Human World!”

“What about Hiro?” Phil asked, getting the orange-haired girl’s attention. “He’s hurt! How will he be able to come with us?” Phil looked at her with pleading eyes.

Emma cupped her chin in her hands, thinking for a second. Finally, she asked the boy in question, “Do you think you’d be able to stand, Hiro?”

“Maybe?” He replied, unsure. To test if he could stand up, Hiro slowly rose from where he sat, pain coursing through his body. Without warning, he almost crumpled to the ground if it wasn’t for Tadashi catching him by the arm.

“I’ll help.” Tadashi volunteered. And so, after packing everything they has taken out of the bag, all of the children – about fifty of them, Hiro guessed – started out of the room and into the maze of hallways that made up Grace Field Plantation. They soon came to a set of double doors, which led down into a basement room. It was a slight problem for Hiro to navigate down the stairs, but he managed with his younger brother’s help. Once he reached the bottom and exited the little hallway that extended from the stairs, Hiro gasped, his eyes gleaming with wonder and amazement.

A pond, with its sparkling yellow water, covered half of the room – or, as Hiro saw it, underground cavern. The walls were cold as stone, and rough as the material as well. Bumps and pointy edges covered these walls. Stalactites spread out about the roof of the cavern, some long and thick, while others were thin and skinny. The floor contained soft grass that acted as a sort of carpet for the room. In the center of this, the thing that caught Hiro’s attention the most, were stone stairs that were carved out of the ground. The stairs headed straight down into the soil.

“What is this place?” One of the mamas said. While Hiro and the children had been locked up tight and out of harm’s way, the mamas had turned on Peter Ratri, and helped Emma and the others will the liberation.

“I’ve heard of it.” Norman supplemented, answering the woman’s question. “It’s the passageway the Ratri Clan used to come and go as well as transport goods.”

“I’ll use this water to tell HIM that I want to implement the promise,” Emma added, holding a flower in her hand. It resembled the flowers Hiro had seen on Conny and Max’s bodies, only it wasn’t blooming, and was dove white.

 _Who exactly is HIM?_ Hiro wondered. _Is he one of the higher-up demons?_

“You won’t be going back to the Seven Walls again, will you?” Jemina asked, slightly with fear. Seven Walls? Was that HIM’s home? _I really should’ve paid more attention to what Emma and Ray were doing while me and the others went hunting for Mujika and Sonju…_ Hiro chided himself.

“Nope.” Emma smiled, tilting her head to the side as she did so.

“…What about the reward?” Phil asked suddenly, getting the girl’s attention for the second time. Reward? Did HIM want a reward for making a new Promise? What was the reward anyway? “Will everything be okay? You have to give a reward, right?”

Emma crouched down to Phil’s height and ruffled his hair. “Don’t worry,” Emma stated, “Me, everyone here, and the children at the other farms will survive and won’t be left behind. Everyone can get to go to the Human World alive!”

“But what’s the price?!” Phil demanded. For a six-year-old, at least. “What did HIM want in return for us going to the human world?!”

“….Nothing.” Emma simply stated.

“Whaaat?! No way!” Violet exclaimed.

“You mean we can go to the human world without an exception?!” Another kid yelled out of shock. Hiro thought it over; he felt she was hiding something, that HIM _wanted_ a reward. But on the other hand, he didn’t want to think about it at all. They were finally free of the nightmare they had went through – Hiro just wanted to finally be happy and carefree.

“Something off.” Ray stated, cutting to the chase.

“Emma, if you had to sacrifice yourself, then we’re staying here with you,” Norman said, determination filled in his every word. Tadashi and Hiro watched the conversation continue, not knowing what to say. They didn’t want anyone sacrificed, that was a given.

“I’m not being sacrificed,” Emma said, energy blazing in her eyes. “Nobody else is either.”

“Really really?” Phil asked, wanting her answer to be a ‘yes’.

“Really, really,” she said, ruffling his hair some more and smiling. An outburst of happiness echoed throughout the underground cavern. As they settled down, Emma got out a jar and filled it with the weird yellow water. She placed the flower in it, and closed her eyes as if speaking to someone. After a few seconds, she stood and walked back over to the group, grabbing hold of Phil’s little hand. She gazed across all the children, eyes settling on Hiro and Tadashi, who slung an arm around Hiro to help him stand. She waved at them before facing the stairs that supposedly led to their freedom.

“Let’s go!”

All Hiro remembered before blacking out was a white light, and a small, childish-looking and oddly-dressed demon.

——————

_“You want what?” HIM asked, staring at the girl before him. She had determination like no other gleam in her emerald eyes, one that HIM had rarely ever seen. “I seem to have not heard you quite right.”_

_“You heard me, HIM,” Emma replied. “I want Hiro to have a good childhood.”_

_“Hm…” The demon hummed, chin cupped in hand. “I can only do so much, 63194. What exactly did you have in mind for 15194?”_

_“I want you to-.”_


	19. The Price of Freedom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys... So, uh, you know what happens to Emma in the manga, right? Heh-heh.... If you don't, oh well.... But to those who do, you may know what's coming....  
> Also, I can't believe I'm about to finish my first fanfiction, or any work of fiction for that matter! I've always started books/stories, but never have I finished them (the machinimas don't count).

An eight-year-old boy, draped in a thick, wooly blanket, with numbers tattooed on the left side of his neck, cupped his hands around the warm, clay-made cup that held hot chocolate. He brought the cup to his mouth before sipping the drink a little, a flinch from the hotness of the drink unnoticeable to the girl that sat beside him. She, too, had a blanket that kept her warm, and a cup filled with hot chocolate. Both of them watched the flames from the brick fireplace dance in the night like ballerinas performing a stage-play. The flames licked at the air, making odd, wavy shapes as they crackled on top of the wood that had started it all.

From the sidelines, a man, in his late sixties, walked over to them, sitting in the wooden, but cushioned, rocking chair. He rocked back and forth, making the air around them feel serene. The small creaks from the chair annoyed the boy, but only slightly. He didn’t really want to make the man stop; it felt comforting, like all was right with the world.

Snow fell as light as could be outside, giving off a pleasant vibe. Frost covered a few of the window panes; some had drawings on them, made from the boy who now, after setting the hot chocolate down on a little wooden table next to them, leaned against the girl, closing his eyes and resting. He listened the calming whoosh of the wind outside. Soon, the child fell asleep, his mouth open by mere inches. The girl wrapped an arm around the younger sibling, holding the cup in her other hand. She looked at him, smiling contentedly – the boy looked so innocent and sweet.

The boy and girl had been found by the man over yonder a few days ago, near the cottage they now occupied. When the two had woken up, the man had asked who they were, and why they were out in the snow. The children hadn’t been able to give the kind old man an answer, however – they couldn’t recall anything but their names. The old man had taken them in from that day onward, taking care of them like their parents probably would.

Both of the children had recurring dreams, ones that the girl thought meant something. Sometimes it was with strange creatures wearing masks; other times, it was children with pristine white clothing and a number tattooed on their neck, just like the boy had. But exactly what were these dreams telling them? Was it their past life? Were old memories trying to resurface from the back of their mind?

The boy shifted in the girl’s arms, brow furrowed in confusion, a few tears streaming down his face. The girl wiped away the tears with a tender finger, so not to wake the boy from his slumber. She figured he was having another “nightmare”, as the eight-year-old called it.

“N…No…” The boy squirmed under her arms, eyes shutting tighter than they already were. “Y…You…can’t – No – I c-can’t – _NO_!” The boy sat bolt upright, the blanket falling to the ground due to the quick movement the boy made. His breathing fast, his eyes dilated in shock, the boy buried his head into his arms that wrapped around his propped up legs. Soft murmurs of crying came from him, but only as muffled sniffles.

“Is he alright?” The old man asked, sitting upright, a look of concern passing across his face. The girl nodded her answer, before her attention gazed back onto the boy. He stared at the fireplace, trying to get his mind off of the nightmare he just woke up from. He let the girl hug him, comfort him like any sibling would do.

“Sis…?” The boy murmured, brown eyes peering up at the girl like a puppy to their owner. Both children started calling each other “brother” and “sister”, due to being found out in the cold together; the old man had suggested that they could be siblings, but the girl shook it off. She _knew_ the two of them would remember if they were siblings. But, since the old man had taken them in, they became siblings to one another. Adopted siblings, but siblings nonetheless.

“Yeah?” The girl replied, watching the flames twirl in the air too. She felt the boy fidget under her arm, but paid no mind to it. He usually was nervous to tell her about the nightmares; to be honest, he was nervous to discuss anything about his dreams, even if they were happy, colorful ones.

“Can… Can I have some more hwat chwalate?” His voice became too muffled at the last part, so the girl asked him to repeat it. She nodded at his request for more hot chocolate, and stood up before walking into the kitchen, both of their cups in her hand. She returned shortly, but only with a cup for him. He took it in a heartbeat, and slowly sipped on it until it diminished and nothing was left in it.

A few silent moments passed by, until the old man rose from his seat. “It’s getting late, so you two should head to bed,” the old man said, pointing at each of them like a grandfather would while scolding children; albeit, the old man said it in a kind voice, and his face didn’t contort like a scolding grandfather’s.

“Aw…” the boy whined, head hung low.

“Don’t worry!” The girl cheered at the boy, making him tilt his head in confusion. “Grandpa said we’re going into town soon!”

“Really?!” The boy asked, excitement gleaming in his eyes. His head swerved to the side, eyes locking with the old man’s. When their “grandpa” gave him a nod, he shouted out, “Yay,” arms flinging in the air. He smiled and laughed, happy for the news.

They weren’t able to go out of the house since they were found, due to the weather during the days. The children wanted so bad to look at all the stores, and buy a bunch of candy. Unlike the girl, who wanted to get something simple, like new clothes, the boy wanted something cool – and something technological.

“Does this mean I can get a robot?!” The boy bounced up and down when they had entered their bedroom. The room consisted of a wooden bunk bed, an old desk to sit and write at, and two chest of drawers, one for her and one for him. A mirror hung from behind the door, and a coat rack, which could hang up to two coats, was nailed in the wail near their bunk bed.

The boy climbed up the ladder like a monkey racing to get the last banana. The girl watched as he got comfortable, snuggly tight in the blankets that wrapped around him. But then he stopped, and, barely a whisper, spoke, “I don’t wanna sleep…”

“Why not?” The girl asked, climbing the ladder rungs and around his legs to sit in the corner next to him. She wrapped some of the blanket the boy was using around her for warmth too.

“But…if I sleep…” The boy looked away, wringing the edge of the blanket with his fingers. “I…I’ll have bad dreams…” The last part muffled into the blanket, the boy having tucked part of his head underneath the covers. A few minutes passed in silence, until the boy peered out from under the covers and at the girl, who waited patiently. Mustering courage, the boy asked with a slight blush, “Can you… Can you sleep with me, sis?”

Satisfied with her nod, the boy snuggled into her open arms and underneath the blankets; the only visible part of him left was his head. The girl watched as his eyes drooped until they closed. Silence ensued soon enough, as the girl fell asleep soon after. The only thing to make a squeak was the beautiful howling wind that roared ever so softly outside.

These children’s names were…

Emma, and Hiro.


	20. Forever By My Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I can't believe I've just finished a book... And I usually never finish one...
> 
> This sounds like a cause for celebration!!! So have some cookies!!! *hands cookies to you all*
> 
> No, but, seriously, I, like, internally cried when I finally realized I just finished this book...
> 
> Wanna know some history of when I came up with this idea?
> 
> Ha! You gotta read till the end to find out!!!! So, without further a-do, I give you the finale to 15194: The Promised Six.

The marketplace buzzed with life as rays of hot sun penetrated from out of the dreary clouds. People of all ages either were making conversation with their friends, or were shopping. A few children chased each other as their mother tried to make them stop. Emma and Hiro were so excited to finally buy what they wanted, that they didn’t know where to start.

“Why don’t you stick with me for now?” Grandpa suggested as they walked down a concrete pathway that served as the second story. A railing was bolted into the ground, Hiro peering over it to see more people walking about. He raced back over to Emma and Grandpa when the former called his name; the latter, however, told him to not stray away, lest he was to be kidnapped.

The store they entered was filled to the brim with produce, although a small section of the store was meant for childrens’ items such as toys. Hiro was disappointed when he didn’t find a robot in that section. Soon, Grandpa bought what he needed, and they headed for a small store that sold items for the home, so that they could spruce up Emma and Hiro’s bedroom. Emma picked out a poster of an anime she knew nothing about, and Hiro picked out a metal model of a rocket ship. As they headed to the check out, Emma let out a squeal of fright. Grandpa and Hiro turned to see why Emma sounded frightened, and found out when the two noticed her necklace, carved out like an eye, wasn’t hanging around her neck.

“I’m going to go look for it!” Emma told them as she headed back in the direction of where they had been, which was a different part of the store. Wanting to help, Hiro let go of Grandpa’s hand and ran after his older sister, ignoring their grandpa’s alarmed shouts.

Hiro found Emma in the bedroom section, searching frantically in every nook and cranny for her necklace. Hiro helped; sadly, the two came up with nothing.

“Maybe it fell outside?” Emma asked to no one in particular. The two went back to Grandpa, who was waiting in line to purchase the items they wanted. Emma told him about not finding the necklace, and thought she might have dropped it outside. Grandpa told them to be careful and stick together, before watching them leave the store.

The siblings worked their way through crowds of people, Hiro tripping on his feet before running to catch up with Emma. As he neared her, he – out of the corner of his eye – spotted Emma’s necklace a few feet away, the space around it empty of any people.

“Emma, I think I found your necklace!” Hiro exclaimed, pointing to said object they were searching for. The two hurried over to grab it before any burglar stole it. After Hiro picked up the necklace and handed it to her, the siblings suddenly heard a voice say, “Emma?”

Another voice, shakier than the last, barely whispered, “H-Hiro….?”

The two looked up, having been bending over, to see at least a dozen children staring at them. The three that stood out to Hiro were two thirteen-year-olds and one mature-looking twelve-year-old. The first teenager had a black mess for hair, some of it curving to the side, blocking his right eye from view. The second one had short, platinum-blonde hair. The last one had short, neatly tidied jet black hair, and his face was carved into excitement – but also worry.

Who were these children? How did they know them?

“There you are.” The emo-looking one bluntly stated, while another yelled out Hiro’s sister’s name as if she just found her long lost friend. Emma gripped onto her necklace, putting up an arm to shield Hiro from them. Her younger brother watched the scene unfold, not knowing what to do or say.

“Who… Who are all of you?” Emma stated, fear in her voice. The children surrounding them stood there in shock, not knowing what to do or say. The twelve-year-old covered his mouth in shock, not wanting it to be true; had they found the wrong people? We’re they just… identical to their friends? Was that even a thing?

Despite the accusations of if they found Emma and Hiro or not, the emo said, “No… This is them. That’s her necklace.” He pointed to said thing, Emma clutching it closer to her. “And he has his ID number.” The emo then pointed to Hiro, who squeaked when eyes went to him.

“But he’s…” one children started.

“Younger.” The platinum-blonde finished.

“Why…?” The tidied black-haired one said, a few tears rolling down his cheeks and onto the ground. “Why is he…? Why can’t they…?”

“That was the price, wasn’t it?” The emo said, directing his attention on the two frightened children. _How do they know?_ Hiro thought. “Her family really was taken away from her…” he added, sounding mournful.

“But, Hiro…? Isn’t doesn’t make any sense.” The platinum-blonde shook his head. “Why would HIM want to take his memories away, too; why would he make Hiro younger?”

 _‘HIM’? Becoming younger?_ Just exactly what were they talking about?

_“I want Hiro to have a happy life…” Emma said, gaze fixated on the floating demon that sat criss-cross in front of her. “That’s what I want for Hiro.”_

_“Why 15194, exactly?” The demon asked. “You could choose anyone, and yet, you chose… him?”_

_“Yes.” Emma replied. Seeing the unrelenting force that was her determination to see this through, HIM sighed, and said, “Very well.. But for this, I must add something for my own pleasure.”_

_“Will it hurt anyone?” HIM shook his head. “What exactly are you going to do?”_

_“Nothing but leave a reminder of his past life, 63194.”_

_“Thank you…” Emma said, wistfully smiling up at the demon. “From now on, everyone can live happily… It’s the best future we could hope for!”_

“No!” An olive-haired, glasses wearing girl yelled. “You remember us, don’t you, guys?! It’s me, Gilda! You both recognize us, right?!”

“STOP IT!” Emma yelled, shoving away the children as she clung onto her necklace, pulling Hiro closer to her for protection. “I’m sorry… I… We…”

“E…Emma…?” Hiro asked, looking up at his sister, seeing her shed tears. A few rolled down from his own eyes, but he couldn’t figure out why. It was like when you had a name of a brand on the tip of your tongue – but instead, Hiro was trying to grasp memories that wouldn’t come to him. And he wondered if it ever will come to him.

The tidied, black-haired boy crouched down next to Hiro, startling him. He flinched slightly when the boy cupped the side of his cheek with his hand. He smiled, but Hiro could tell his wanted to break down and cry.

“D…Don’t cry!” Hiro flung himself around the boy, trying to comfort him. He felt like he had done this before, but at another place…? Was this what people called de’ja vu? When Hiro spoke again, a familiar word stumbled out. “Don’t cry… Dashi!”

Dashi? Was that this person’s name? _No, a nickname_. Hiro corrected in his head. But why - why did he say that? Was it coming from a memory that had him calling this boy “Dashi”?

He could feel the boy he was hugging stiffen up, but not in fear. Somehow, Hiro knew he was happy – happy that he at least had some memory of him.

“Thank goodness…” The platinum-haired boy stated, smiling at the amnesiac children in the most friendly way possible. From what Hiro could tell, the boy was more so talking to just Emma instead of both of them. The words that fell from his lips was a love confession – a subtle one, but still one nonetheless. “Even if you guys’ memories are gone, I’m glad you’re both alive,” he continued, bittersweet tears running down his face. ““You’re eating well, staying healthy, without injury, being happy… You both are not alone.”

He took a breath before continuing his speech. “We were able to find you guys, and I’m really happy about that. We all are, especially Tadashi.” Tadashi? Was that the person who was now standing next to him, squeezing his hand in a manner like a mother not wanting her child to leave her again?

“We’ve been doing well,” the platinum said, “We’re going to school now, and Tadashi’s been recognized as a genius by a professor at SFIT in San Fransokyo. Cisco and I and everyone else have been getting better, thanks to the technology this world haves. Using certain medicine, the children from the mass production farms don’t need the help of respiratory systems and can even walk on their own.

“Mike Ratri is a neutral person, and is acting as our guardian, though we’ll be adopted soon. He’s been giving us a helping hand with searching for you guys if needed. It might be to prevent us from doing whatever we want, but he means well. I still can’t forgive the Ratri clan, but we’ve all been getting along well. Ayshe hasn’t killed me either, for now. Chris also woke up…”

The boy finished took hold of Emma’s hand, clasping them in his. “We’re all working hard,” he continued, “to make a bright future. I’m glad we were able to come to this world. We’re all happy now because of you, Emma… Everything’s been fine, it’s just as you wished for. The result of your decision turned out great. Everything we have, you gave to us. You paid for it with everything you had… We don’t get why you included Hiro in the reward, but it’s fine… We’re fine with it. _Tadashi_ is fine with it.”

Said boy flinched at his name, clearly not okay with it. But when Hiro looked up at him, concern flickering in his eyes, he smiled playfully. “Don’t worry,” he told the eight-year-old. “Everything’s fine.”

“But…” the platinum-blonde boy said, his words directed straight at the orange-haired amnesiac. “Even so, I wanted to be with you – I wanted you smiling with us.”

 _I want to remember_. Emma thought. _But I can’t… We can’t… We’ve tried so hard to remember, but it always slips between our fingers’ grasp. But…_

 ** _Why do we feel this way?_** Hiro and Emma thought simultaneously, not understanding these feelings that overwhelmed them. They both desperately wanted to know who these children were, but they just couldn’t… Hiro wanted to know why he felt like he knew this Tadashi person, why he called him “Dashi,” but it was no use.

Hiro could feel his eyes water. Huh? Why…? Why am I crying?

“Huh?” Emma said, in slight shock at the new liquid that rolled down her cheeks. “What? Why am I…?”

 ** _Though I don’t know anything…_** The two children thought in unison. **_Though I can’t remember… Why does it feel warm, but painful, in my heart?_**

“I – no, _we_ – wanted to see you.” Emma said, crying. “We felt like we wanted to see all of you! Hiro felt like he wanted to see his brother again! Even if he never knew who he was!”

“Hiro…!” Tadashi cried out, embracing his brother in a tight hug. Hiro nuzzled his face in the boy’s shoulder, crying as the twelve-year-old stroked his messy black hair. He felt like this was right – _this_ was the brother he so badly wanted to see.

The eight-year-old had been having nightmares ever since him and Emma had been found by Grandpa. He never liked going to sleep, knowing full well the gory nightmare he would have. But one time – one _single_ time – he had a normal dream, playing with a boy one year younger than him. Hiro felt like he was connected to the boy – like they were siblings of a sort. Ever since then, he wanted to see that boy.

And now, he finally had.

It was the boy who was hugging him.

It was Tadashi. _He_ was the person he needed to see.

“We’ve wanted to see you too!” The black-haired boy gave a toothy smile as the children gathered around Hiro and Emma. “We’ve missed you for so long!”

“I’ve missed you too, knucklehead!” Tadashi ruffled Hiro’s hair after they parted the emotional hug. “Did you miss me?”

Hiro’s answer was giggles and a tooth-gaped smile.

“It’s okay if you guys forgot,” the platinum-blonde said, wiping his tears away with the sleeve of his shirt. “It’s okay if you guys don’t remember. Even if you both are different from who you used to be… That’s why, once more, and forever more… Let’s live together!”

The children held out their hands, inviting them to a new life – a life where they could live among their friends whom they forgot.

Emma placed her hand onto of the childrens’, then Hiro did. They both smiled, ready for whatever came their way, whatever life put them through. Hiro knew his friends would be there for him – and so did Emma.

There was no hesitancy in their voice when they said one single word.

“Okay!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: feroihgregoihreg I'm so happy!!!!
> 
> Anyway, about the history of when I came up with the idea for a TPN x BH6 crossover. Originally, I had started with all of BH6 - minus Baymax (Max in this book) - be transported by a spirit named Fate to the TPN world, where they would have to uncover the reason why they needed to save the GF (Grace Field) children. The original book basically went through each episode of Season 1, but just had the BH6 team inserted into each episode. I had written up to the confrontation with the traitor, but then I started to not feel that great with what I had written.
> 
> So, I tried again... This time, Fate was called to the court - or whatever I had called it - and told by an elderly spirit to get the BH6 team to help the GF Children escape the lie that was their life. In this one, Hiro had woken up, him being the only one remembering that they lived in San Franskyo. This didn't feel quite right with me, so I wrote it again, this time it being permanent, as you guys can see.
> 
> Welp, there's some history on where this idea came from, and some of the different versions I wrote out! Here's a question for you guys: would you like me to post what I had written for the first idea (since the second one didn't even have a complete first chapter)?
> 
> PS: Don't forget to look out for a Tangled: The Series reaction fanfic! Gonna kinda be a Varian x OC, but, like, not? Maybe?


End file.
